Would?
by Aaliamad
Summary: AU. There were no Zen lessons, there was no prom, or Veterans Day kiss, and there definitely hadn't been a relationship. No, Jackie and Hyde had hated each other growing up in Point Place. But what would happen if they met up a few years later when they'd both grown up a little? Would a friendship develop or would they still just see each other as the princess and the burnout?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I'm back...again! Just pumping out some stories while I'm bored and on holiday. This one is just about finished so I'll be updating daily, it might be one chapter per day or maybe two...I haven't decided yet. Anyway this one is shorter than the my last story and I hope you enjoy it.**_

 _ **Back story: Jackie and Hyde never had a relationship (except one of mutual despise) in Point Place. Most significant events we saw between them on the series never happened although a few things did. Please read and review and tell me what you think. Oh and big thanks to SwanseaGurl and CuriosityKilledThePirate for your advice...I really appreciate it!**_

 _ **Oh and I don't own T70S or any characters blah blah blah (I so wish I did though)**_

* * *

 _ **October 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **, 1980**_

 _ **5.45pm**_

 _ **University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Halls of Residence**_

Jackie trudged up the corridor and avoided looking at the faces of the strangers who passed her by. Strangers who didn't notice the immaculately groomed former head cheerleader of Point Place High. Strangers who didn't care how important she was, or rather, _once_ was. She could hear them chatting, laughing, and generally having fun, and it wasn't helping her mood one little bit. Back in Point Place she had been one of those people, she had been the one with lots of friends, but here at college, she was the outsider. She was the girl she had once mocked.

Once she reached her small dormitory room she closed the door and tried to shut out the sounds of the 'popular' people. Her tiny room had become her safe haven in a world where she didn't belong. It was where she could pretend she was still the Jackie Burkhart of old; the one who not only fit in, but also determined what was cool and uncool – well in her own head anyway. These college people just hadn't bothered to notice how amazing she really was and it was their loss, not hers. Well that's what she tried to tell herself on a daily basis anyway.

It was a Friday evening and everyone was buzzing, planning what they were going to do to celebrate the start of the weekend. They were of course parent free so the world, or in this case, Milwaukee, was their oyster. Jackie on the other hand, had been parent free for what felt like years now. Her dad was in prison, her mom was busy finding a new husband in Mexico, so the only parent figure Jackie had in her life was Bob Pinciotti. But Bob, bless him, had always felt more like a guardian to Jackie than a father so she had been pretty much free for a while now.

Jackie pushed aside the dozen stuffed animals on her bed and lay down. The bed and the toys had become her sanctuary over the last two weeks and as comforting as they were they were no replacement for Donna. How she missed that great big redhead. Donna and Eric had left Point Place a year ago to go to college in Madison, and as much as Jackie had tried, she had failed to secure a spot and join them. Hence why she was currently lying on her bed on a Friday night with no friends and no social life.

Rolling onto her back Jackie felt a jab in her thigh and remembered the address and number Donna had just given her over the phone. She dug into her jean pocket, pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and opened it up. _Steven Hyde_ , now there was a blast from the past. After listening to Jackie sob for three quarters of an hour about her loneliness Donna had insisted she call Hyde. Apparently the scruffy burnout was now living in Milwaukee and managing a local bar. Jackie found this information amusing; while she hadn't seen Hyde for over a year she always knew his future would include alcohol and skanky girls that frequent bars.

She played with the paper for a while, tossing up whether she was desperate enough to go see a guy that she'd always despised, or whether she should stay in her room and cry a little more. While she pondered this non-life changing question her door burst open and in waltzed her roommate prompting Jackie to kick her legs over the side of the bed and sit up.

Brushing away a few stray tears from her cheek she smiled up at the tall brunette. "Hey Sarah," she said trying to sound bubbly.

Sarah didn't bother looking at Jackie, instead she continued to rifle through the mountain of clothes strewn across her bed, only managing to mumble a barely audible "hey".

Jackie had tried, more than once, over the last few weeks to talk to Sarah but the girl just didn't seem interested. The posters of The Clash and The Dead Kennedys that were plastered over the cement brick walls on Sarah's side of the room provided a clue as to why she would not want to be friends with a small town cheerleader who loved ABBA. But Jackie Burkhart was not one to give up, she may not be what Sarah thought was 'cool', but she was persistent nonetheless.

"So," Jackie began, "what are you up to tonight?"

Sarah stopped rummaging through her black clothes for a moment and turned her head toward Jackie.

"Um, a few of us are going to a rave," she said before turning away again.

Jackie's eyes lit up, this was the most she'd gotten out of her roommate all week and she desperately wanted to see if maybe it was the start of a new, albeit odd, friendship.

She stood up and flattened out her skirt. "A rave huh? I've never been to one of those, I've heard they're great though. A friend of mine over at Madison has been to a few. You mind if I tag along?"

Sarah, who by now was in the middle of undressing, pulled her fitted tee down and swung around bewildered. "Jackie, you seem like a nice girl n all, but no, you can't tag along. It wouldn't be your scene."

Jackie followed Sarah's eyes and smirk to her own side of the room, the side that displayed ABBA posters and a photo board filled with snaps of her much treasured cheerleading days. Tears filled her eyes upon realising that her suspicions were correct, she wasn't 'cool' enough for Sarah and her friends. She was the geek.

Defeated, she sat back down on her single, lumpy, bed and quickly lay down facing the wall so that she didn't have to see her bitch of a roommate. She held back the sobs and waited for the girl to leave, all the while listening to the people in the hallway laughing and yahooing. She couldn't stay here another night. She couldn't be alone again. Steven Hyde may have been an asshole but a familiar face sure as hell had to beat the familiar ones that she'd been seeing for the last two weeks; the familiar strangers who didn't bother noticing Jackie Burkhart.

...

 _ **8.05pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Pub, Milwaukee**_

The bar was beginning to fill up, it always did at this time on a Friday night, and it was always the same kind of patrons; rich college students wanting to watch sport while listening to a live band. They weren't the type of people Hyde wanted to be serving but a job was a job and he was being paid well to take money from rich fuckwits, so he'd learned to grin and bear it.

He'd been in Milwaukee for a little over two years now. Initially he'd come for a weekend away with Forman, Kelso and Fez to celebrate graduation. They'd spent most of that weekend in this very bar and had gotten pretty chummy with the owner; a thirty something Irishman named Patrick who liked weed and British rock, two things dear to Hyde's heart. Knowing that Hyde didn't have anything happening back in Point Place, Patrick had offered him a job which he'd taken enthusiastically. Sure, he was somewhat bummed when it came time to say goodbye to the boys but he would rather be the one who left, than the one who was left behind, and he knew the others would all leave Point Place eventually.

Yeah, Hyde liked this gig. He liked it a lot.

"It's gonna be busy tonight boss," Kerin, one of the barman said as he restacked the glasses.

Hyde looked around and nodded. "Sure is man, what time are the others starting?" Hyde was having trouble finding good workers, which bugged him because it meant he had to do more manual work. He preferred to be the overseer, he wasn't so keen on actually pulling pints and clearing tables.

"I told them 8.30 but they're college kids so I guess we just have to cross our fingers n hope they show," said Kerin before racing to the other end of the bar to serve a customer.

Hyde stood with arms folded and checked out the scene. The place was filling up, and filling up fast, so he knew he was gonna have to serve the thirsty soon. Deciding some film would help him through the shift he moved to slink out the back when he heard a female voice call out to him. Fearing it was a chick he may have screwed recently he pretended he didn't hear and darted out of the smoky bar….for some smoke of his own. He sat down in the back room and opened a window before pulling out his tin and lighting a joint. Just a couple of drags, that's all he needed, then he'd be able to deal with the chick, and the crowded bar.

The buzz took over quickly, relaxing Hyde so much that he forgot his surroundings and leaned back in the chair without a care in the world. His daze was broken when a scrambled Kerin appeared in the doorway.

"Boss, I hate to disturb you, but I really need your help out here," the bartender asked before disappearing back into the bustling pub.

Hyde chuckled to himself as he stood up. It always amused him that Kerin called him 'boss' and apologised for disturbing him when he was sat on his ass doing absolutely nothing. Perks of the job he guessed.

Once behind the bar it was business as usual, serving assholes who couldn't wait their turn and girls who couldn't hold their liquor. Pouring his sixth pint Hyde checked the time, 8.25pm. The band started at 9.

Still pouring the pint he called out to Kerin, "Those kids better be here at 8.30 man!" and was surprised when Kerin gave him a thumbs up.

"Already here boss," he said, as two young guys walked around the bar.

The guys stood there for a moment awaiting instructions and generally pissing Hyde off.

 _Kids these days_ , he thought, _no fuckin' initiative_.

He handed a jock his pint and called the boys over.

"You two poured drinks before?" he asked. Both boys nodded. "Well get to work then!"

Hyde shook his head as he lit a cigarette and watched the boys race to the bar and get serving.

"So are you really going to ignore me all night?" a female voice called out. A rather familiar voice. Hyde turned his head toward the end of the bar and nearly choked on his smoke when he saw Jackie Burkhart propped up sipping wine. Curious as to why she was here Hyde walked over to her and noticed just how much little Jackie had grown up.

"Uh, hey Jackie," he said from across the bar. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"College," Jackie stated as she took a sip of wine and looked around the room.

Hyde waited for her to say something else, she was in his bar after all, and she had spoken to him first, but she said nothing. She was being the same bitchy little princess she'd always been, expecting everyone to fall all over her, but she must've forgotten that HE had never fallen over her once. And he wasn't gonna start tonight.

"Okay, well, it was ah, good, seeing ya I guess. Have a good night." Hyde took a drag of his cigarette and began to walk away. He was much too busy to stand around waiting for Jackie to make conversation; he still had half a joint waiting out back for him after all.

Just as he was at the door leading to the back Jackie called out. "Wait Hyde! Please come back!"

His internal struggles felt very real – sit and talk to Jackie freakn Burkhart, or smoke some film – he knew what he wanted to do, but when he turned and saw her looking all sad and pathetic his body somehow walked back over to her. Perhaps he could spare 2 minutes to find out whether the mighty had finally fallen.

He stubbed his smoke out in the ashtray behind the bar and stared at her. "What's up Jackie?' he asked, rather nonchalantly.

The small brunette sitting across from him shrugged. "Not much, just thought I'd come and check out where you work. Thought you might have time to have a drink with me?"

Hyde was puzzled. Why would he want to have a drink with her? They'd barely talked back in Point Place, except to trade insults, why had she come here knowing it was his bar?

"Ah why?" he asked.

Jackie sat up straight and picked up her purse from off of the bar. "Oh don't worry," she muttered, climbing off the barstool. "I shouldn't have come."

The small brunette didn't look at Hyde once before she started walking through the crowd to the exit of the bar, which suited him just fine. He wasn't her friend, nor had he ever been her friend. Hell, he hadn't even _pretended_ to be her friend.

So why did he feel the need to go after her?

 _Dammit,_ he thought as he swiped Kerin with a bar towel to get his attention. "You okay here for a second?" he asked.

When Kerin nodded, Hyde strode rather purposefully out to the bar floor and toward the exit. He found Jackie just outside, and he had to admit that in the bright light he quite liked what he saw. Dressed in a black strapless dress and with her long raven hair tumbling down her back he noticed that she really _had_ grown up.

 _But she's still Jackie Burkhart_ , he told himself, _and she still has a mouth and can talk_.

"Jackie!" he sort of called, but more like growled. She turned around, all doe eyed and innocent looking. Hyde had to chuckle, knowing that she was far from innocent, and he wondered just who she was trying to fool.

"I thought you didn't want to hang with me?" she questioned as he reached her.

She still that same annoying tone. God Hyde hated that tone. He wanted to kick himself, hard, for coming out here after her and subjecting himself to her voice.

"Look, I _am_ actually working, but I s'pose we can 'hang' or 'talk' or whatever while I work. Seeing as you came here just to see me." Hyde waggled his eyebrows while Jackie pulled a face, one that screamed disgust. It didn't bug Hyde though, not one little bit. If she thought _he_ disgusted _her_ , she should see how much _she_ disgusted _him_. "Well? Are you coming back in or what? Like I said I'm meant to be working."

He watched as Jackie looked up and down the street as if weighing up her options.

 _Fucking princess,_ he thought, _does she really think I'm gonna stand out here all night waiting for her?_

Hyde sighed in annoyance and crossed his arms, forcing the princess to finally say something.

"Sure Hyde," she said with a smile. "I'd love to come and hang with you tonight."

Hyde stood for a moment as Jackie headed back to the bar, wondering how the hell she'd managed to turn the situation around so that it had become _him_ asking _her_ to hang out.

 _Weird man, seriously weird_ , he thought, before following her back in.

 _ **...**_

 _ **10.30pm**_

Jackie sat at the end of the bar analyzing Hyde serve customers and snarl at them at the same time. It didn't surprise her, he'd never had any manners, he had grown up poor after all. But while his lack of decent customer service infuriated her she was still pleased that she had someone to talk to tonight, even if it was just a few words in between him pouring pints.

Finishing the last of her wine she started tapping her foot in time with the beat of the music. She liked this band, surprisingly, and wished she had someone to dance with. It felt like forever to the once-bubbly-life-of-the-party since she'd danced. But before she could get all depressed again about her sad life and lack of dance partners Hyde came back over.

"You want another one?" he asked, picking up her empty glass.

Jackie didn't really want another one, she'd had three in the last hour and she wasn't much of a drinker. However the thought of going back to her dorm turned her stomach more than the thought of more alcohol so she nodded at Hyde and pulled five dollars out of her purse.

"Put it away," Hyde said as he placed a glass of wine in front of her and handed her back the five dollars. "You're a poor student now right? I can shout you a couple drinks."

Jackie was mortified….Steven Hyde of all people had just called her poor! She wanted to protest and demand he take those blasphemous words back when she remembered he was actually right. She _was_ a poor student and she literally only had $20 left in her purse.

So instead Jackie gave him a smile and a wink, and raised her glass. "Thanks Hyde," she said.

"No problem," he replied as he began wiping down the bar. "So, you liking student life so far? Must be a few of your friends in here tonight?"

Jackie looked around the crowded bar at the people who most certainly were not her friends. Sure she recognised a few faces but unfortunately the closest person she had to a _friend_ in this bar was Steven fucking Hyde and he had been a total asshole to her for as long as she could remember.

"Student life is great," she lied. "I'm learning loads of new things, meeting some great people, it's really cool." She cringed when she said the last words, knowing that she sounded like an idiot who was trying too hard to make someone believe them.

Hyde raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Sounds _cool_ ," he said. "So where are all these great people tonight? Why are you sitting here alone? In my bar?"

 _Because I am lonely and desperate!_

"God aren't I allowed to come see an old friend?" she questioned Hyde angrily. Why did he have to be so difficult? Why couldn't he just chat without giving her what felt like the third degree?

Hyde shrugged. "Jackie we were never friends."

"Well, I know that. I just thought, that, well, you're in Milwaukee, and I'm in Milwaukee, and well, we haven't see each other since, like, ah….your graduation I think? So I just wanted to come and say hi. Oh but don't worry, I won't come again."

Jackie knew it, she damn well knew it would be a mistake coming to see him but she had stupidly come anyway. She looked at Hyde as he continued wiping.

 _Behind those freaking sunglasses I just bet he's rolling his eyes at how pathetic I am,_ she thought before letting her eyes creep around the bar at all her classmates having a good time. She didn't fit in _anywhere,_ and it sucked.

Hyde threw the towel under the bar and refilled her wine. "Look its fine man, I guess I don't mind you being here. A bit of eye candy helps business and these guys seem to be working hard just to try and impress you," he said as he nodded toward Kerin and the other guys working behind the bar who kept glancing over at Jackie.

Jackie smiled. "Oh well, if my being here is helping motivate your staff then I guess I should stay," she declared, desperately wanting to kick herself for taking the little scraps a burnout like Hyde was throwing her way.

….

 _ **October 4**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1980**_

 _ **1am**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Pub, Milwaukee**_

Four and a half hours.

Jackie had been propped up at the bar for four and a half fucking hours.

Only now she wasn't so much propped up, as she was fast asleep. While she slept, probably dreaming about unicorns and ponies, Hyde thanked the band and locked the doors behind them wondering how the hell he was going to get a very drunk Jackie Burkhart home.

As he made his way back to the bar to clean up he almost stepped in the pile of dust and rubbish that Kerin had swept up.

"Woah boss," Kerin cautioned as he held out the broom to stop Hyde in his tracks.

Hyde made a quick detour and stood next to Kerin, one arm on his hip, the other stroking his beard. "Sorry man, I'm miles away wondering what the hell I'm gonna do with that problem over there," he grumbled, motioning toward sleeping Jackie.

"Problem? I don't know that I'd call her a problem," Kerin started. "I'd call her a solution, a solution to my cold, empty bed tonight."

For some reason that even he himself didn't understand Hyde smacked Kerin across the back of the head. Jackie was annoying, immature, and numerous other negative adjectives, but Hyde still didn't view Kerin's comment as amusing, or necessary.

Kerin gently rubbed the back of his head, although Hyde knew the guy's pride hurt more than anything else, and carried on sweeping. "Sorry Hyde, I didn't think there was anything going on between you two."

"There isn't ya moron!" Hyde quickly informed him. "She's everything I hate in the world! I'm just not into guys taking advantage of drunk girls, so in future keep your comments to yourself and just do your job okay?"

Hyde stormed over to Jackie and tried to wake her by lifting her head off of the cold, wooden bar. With her head in his arm he lightly slapped her face, a grin creeping across his own as he thought of the many times he'd dreamed of slapping Jackie Burkhart.

"Jackie!" he yelled into her ear. However his efforts were to no avail, the drunk princess could not be woken, so Hyde carefully picked her up and carried her to the back room. He placed her down on the old recliner and she mumbled something before slumping over the side of the threadbare armchair.

"How the hell did you become my problem?" Hyde asked a comatose Jackie as he picked up her purse and searched for a key, or an address, or a number. This chick had been Kelso's problem, and Donna's problem, and for a bit, or so Hyde had heard, she'd even been Fez's problem. She was never, ever, meant to become Hyde's problem. And quite the problem she had become.

After a bit of rummaging through lipsticks, and girly products, and coins, Hyde found a key which he figured had to be to her room in her dorm. Prior to her passing out Hyde vaguely remembered Jackie rambling on about living on campus and he figured it wouldn't take much to find her room. After placing the key in his pocket he picked up the drunken girl he'd always hated, and her stupid purse, and carried her out back to the El Camino.

Once out in the bar's dark parking lot he stood her up against the car, using his own body weight to keep her upright while he unlocked the door. The cool autumn breeze, or the cold metal of the Camino on her bare shoulders, must have roused Jackie from her slumber and she opened her eyes.

"Hyde?" she asked, groggy from alcohol.

"Yes Jackie?" Hyde said gruffly as he opened the door.

"Where are we?" she asked in an almost childlike tone.

This was just what Hyde didn't need, or want in his life. He was the one laughing when guys had to take care of their drunken girlfriends and he'd successfully avoided becoming one of those mugs. Damn he hoped this was the last time he'd have to see this girl who technically _was not his damn problem._

"We're at my bar, you drank too much and now I'm taking you home. Get in," he ordered. Hyde wasn't sure if Jackie was actually doing what she was told or whether his gentle shove did the trick, but whatever, he was happy when she was in the car and one step closer to out of his life.

The drive to the university was torturous. If Jackie wasn't trying to prop herself up on his arm, her head was falling onto his lap, so Hyde had spent most of the trip with one arm desperately trying to keep her at bay.

 _How the hell did she get so drunk?_ he wondered as he pulled the Camino into the sprawling campus. He was sure he'd only poured her five or so wines, but he also remembered that she'd always been a bit of a lightweight when it came to drinking so he silently cursed himself for his lack of judgement when pouring said wines.

"Jackie, we're here," he announced when he pulled up outside what looked like student housing. "Where do you live man?"

He watched as Jackie tried to sit up, his hopes rising when she opened one eye, but crashing again when she closed it and slumped back in the seat. Hyde pulled her back up and kept his arm around her back.

"Come on Jackie, I need to get you home, where's your room?"

His questions, though, were met with silence and Hyde knew he wasn't gonna be hearing anything outta that mouth for the next few hours. So he placed her back down on the seat and thought about what his next move would be. A few college kids strolled by the car and he was tempted to ask them if they knew the plastered chick sitting next to him, but as much as he couldn't stand her he still didn't want to inadvertently hand her over to a rapist. In a last ditch effort to get rid of her he yelled in her ear and poked her sides before reluctantly starting up the car.

"Dammit Jackie," he growled as he pulled out of the park, "I guess you're staying at mine."


	2. Chapter 2

_**9.17am**_

 _ **Hyde's Apartment**_

 _ **Milwaukee**_

Jackie couldn't open her eyes. Her head hurt way too much to even consider allowing a flicker of daylight to further contribute to her pain. She pulled the cosy blanket up over her face and tried going back to sleep.

Sleep was good.

Sleep was her friend.

As she went to roll over her leg hit something. Something soft. Something that felt like the back of a couch.

 _Where the hell am I?_ she thought.

The last thing Jackie remembered was being in Hyde's bar singing along to a cover version of the Bee Gees 'Tragedy' with one of the barman. She was pretty sure it wasn't Hyde, if she remembers rightly he'd told her to "get bent" when she had asked him to come and dance to the band. It must've been the other guy, the cute one with brown eyes.

 _Oh my god did I go home with him?_

Surely she hadn't? Surely she wouldn't? She didn't even know the guy's name and Jackie Burkhart may have been a lot of things but she definitely wasn't a slut. But to be sure, she knew she had to open her eyes and work out where she was – no matter how much it hurt her head to do so.

She pulled the blanket down and tentatively opened her eyes, just a little at first.

Yes, she was on a couch.

Phew, she was alone.

Looking around the living room Jackie could tell it was a man's home; car magazines on the coffee table; no photos or trinkets; minimalistic. It was nice though, and clean. At least she had slept somewhere clean.

Suddenly feeling very queasy she held her stomach as she stood up, praying she wouldn't throw up all over the clean living room. She was pretty sure whatever had happened after 'Tragedy' was embarrassing enough, she certainly didn't need to include 'vomiting all over a stranger's house' to her list of embarrassing moments of the night.

With a mouth that felt like sandpaper, and a head that was pounding like a thousand drums, Jackie found her way to the kitchen and poured herself a water. As she sculled back glass after glass in the hopes of quick rehydration she snooped around a little. Unfortunately for her there really wasn't much to snoop through. No photos on the fridge; no food _in_ the fridge. The person whose house this was obviously used the place as a base, not a home and for some reason Jackie found that quite sad. If she had a place of her own she would surround herself in comfort, things that made her feel happy, like she'd tried to do in her cement brick dungeon back on campus.

The dungeon back on campus – how on earth was she going to get back there? Calling a friend wasn't an option, she didn't have any of those, and calling a cab would be difficult too if she didn't even know where to be picked up from. Making her way towards what she assumed were the bedrooms she decided she had to know who had brought her home in the hope that they may be willing to take her back to campus.

The first door she came to was slightly ajar so she poked her head in. A soft snore was coming from the occupant of the bed but due to the lack of light in the small room she couldn't make out just who the occupant was. More car magazines, clothes, and records littered the path to the bed so Jackie carefully avoiding them as she tiptoed closer. Once at the side of the bed she could see it was a guy. A shirtless guy. A shirtless guy with a hot body but a pillow over his head. He was covered from the naval down by a white sheet, a sheet Jackie was tempted to push down further. Holding her hair back with one hand so that it wouldn't tickle hot body guy, she carefully lent over and pulled the pillow off and to her horror she was met with a scruffy beard and a head full of tight curls.

 _Oh my god! I just called Hyde hot!_ She screamed internally as she hurriedly put the pillow back over his face and made a hasty exit out of his room.

As she picked up her shoes and purse from _Hyde's_ living room floor she silently cursed herself. Whatever had happened last night she knew she was sure to have provided him with enough burns to last a lifetime, and that thought hurt worse than her head and her stomach combined. He was sure to tell everyone in Point Place all about her drunken antics and they would have a field day laughing at her expense.

This was bad.

This was really bad.

And she still didn't know how she was getting home.

Clutching her shoes and purse in one hand, and biting the nails on her other, she walked over to the kitchen window and peered out. She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity when she realised where she was; she was above Hyde's bar! Of course that lazy boy couldn't organise himself a job _and_ an apartment – he had to have both handed to him in a combo. Smiling to herself at the thought of freedom Jackie picked up the phone, called herself a cab, and tiptoed out the back door, hoping to never see Steven Hyde again.

...

 _ **10.03 am**_

 _ **University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Halls of Residence**_

Jackie stood at her door and knocked again, praying that Sarah would get her ass out of bed and let her in. Somehow, during the night, Jackie had lost her freaking room key and so she was now standing in a black strapless dress and heels at 10 o'clock in the morning. She avoided looking at the people walking by, many of whom were clearly going to the gym or for a run, but she could feel their judgemental glares burning a hole through her already aching body.

'Sarah," she whispered, knocking again, "please Sarah, its Jackie, let me in."

She knew it was useless. Even if Sarah was in there she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. Taking her heels off Jackie slid down the wall and sat on the floor, wondering just what had become of her life.

...

 _ **4.35pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

Hyde was cutting up lemons when Kerin walked in to start his shift.

"How's it boss?" the brown eyed boy asked as he threw his bag under the counter.

"How's it man," Hyde replied before pushing the chopping board full of lemons toward Kerin. Kerin looked at the yellow fruit before raising an eyebrow. "C'mon Kerin, you know how I feel about yellow things," smirked Hyde. What was the point of being manager if you couldn't manage your staff and get them to do all the shitty jobs that you don't want to do? That was Hyde's mantra anyway.

Kerin began chopping. "So, what happened with the little drunk thing last night anyway?" he asked.

Hyde shook his head as he rolled out the bar mats. "Dude, do you know how big that university is?" Kerin nodded. Hyde continued, "there was no way I was gonna find her room. She was drunk n passed out and being a fuckin' pain in my ass so I had to take her home with me, god dammit!"

Kerin stopped with the lemons and smirked at Hyde. "Home with you huh?"

"Not like that!" Hyde quickly scowled. "I put her on the couch, and I slept in my bed…"

"How gentlemanly of you" Kerin said sarcastically.

"Hey at least I didn't leave her on the side of the road, she's lucky she even got to sleep on my couch. Anyway, she was gone when I got up this morning," Hyde smiled, "she'll be feeling so embarrassed man, I _wish w_ e were back in Point Place so that I could share all these great burns I've got with the guys."

Hyde couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. Jackie had been crazy last night. At one point she'd climbed onto the bar and started dancing and he, fearing her falling and the potential lawsuit that would come with it, had to lift her off and return her to her seat. It was all brilliant, brilliant stuff that Forman would love. But those lazy days sitting around the basement burning Jackie were over; now Hyde had lemons to chop and old men hiding from their wives to pour pints for.

"Another pint mate," one of Hyde's regulars called from the end of the bar.

"Coming right up Harry," Hyde said as he pulled out a fresh glass and placed it under the tap of Guinness. He pulled the lever down and the dark brown liquid came rushing into the glass. Making sure to avoid too much froth he titled the glass until it was full then carried it down to Harry. "There you go," he announced to the old man with a smile.

"You're a good kid y'know that?" Harry said, taking the glass and handing Hyde a handful of coins.

"Well I don't know about that," came a voice, a huffy voice. Jackie's voice. She plonked herself down next to Harry who gave Hyde a wink and quickly left with his beer.

Hyde opened the cash register and put the coins inside before slamming it shut. "No need to scare off my regulars Jackie," he growled. Fuck, after all he had done for her last night she has the cheek to come in here and be snarky with him. Who the hell does she think she is?

"Where's my key Hyde? Did you keep it so you can stalk me or something?"

Hyde reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, handing it to Jackie. "No, I had your key to try and get you home last night, but you were too wasted to even tell me where you lived. Oh, and believe me, if I was gonna stalk someone it definitely would not be you," he snarled as he turned and walked to the other end of the bar.

Apparently Jackie didn't get the hint that he wasn't into talking to her because before he knew it she too was at the other end of the bar.

With her hands on her hips Hyde could tell Jackie was ready for a fight. "That's right Hyde, I was wasted, and who was it pouring my drinks huh? Hmmm, that's right, it was the same guy who took me back to his house and tried to have his wicked way with me."

"Are you for real Jackie?" Hyde asked angrily. He slammed a paper coaster down in front of her but its light weight didn't have the dramatic effect he had been hoping for. "I poured you five drinks, not my fault you can't handle your liquor, and you should be thanking me for taking you back to mine, I could've, n probably should've, left your ass on the side of the road. Now get outta here would ya? I got a bar to run."

Hyde didn't bother waiting for Jackie to respond. He grabbed his cigarettes from under the counter and walked to the back room. There were only five customers, including the fucking annoying brunette practically accusing him of rape, so Kerin was fine on his own for a while. He pushed open the window next to his recliner and lit his smoke.

 _Fucking bitch_ he thought. Why the hell did she have to pop back up in his life? Where oh where was the little pill Kelso had once wished for that made you forget Jackie Burkhart? He could do with taking it right now.

He heard a sniffle coming from the doorway and rolled his eyes.

"You have your key Jackie, just leave," he ordered, not bothering to look at her.

"Hyde, I'm really sorry. I know I should be thanking you but…."

"Whatever, just go man." He heard the clip clop of her heels coming further into the room. His room. His private room.

"Look Hyde I'm just really embarrassed. I was an idiot last night from what I remember and I just feel really stupid that you had to see me like that…."

"As opposed to how I saw you just now?" Hyde grunted, still staring out the window.

Jackie walked to the window and stood right in front of it, blocking his view. What once was the back parking lot was now replaced with Jackie's firm, slender, thighs, only a couple inches of them covered with denim hot pants. Dammit, the last thing Hyde wanted to be thinking about was Jackie's thighs.

She bent down in front of him and for a moment he was relieved that he no longer had to look at her legs. However that relief was shortly lived as his view now consisted of her chest, practically fully exposed and in his face. He stared at the buttons she hadn't done up and was tempted to do them up himself.

"Hyde, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," she said, a few tears visible in the corners of her eyes.

Hyde turned away and flicked his smoke in the ashtray. He didn't want to see her cry, for some reason it didn't make him feel good.

Jackie stood up and sighed. "So you're just going to ignore me then?" she asked. He shrugged. "Well, can I at least get a glass of water before I leave? It was a long walk here and I'm thirsty," she said, fanning herself with one hand, the other wiping away those dreaded tears.

Hyde looked up at her. "You walked all the way here?"

"Yeah? Of course I did. I used most of my money getting a cab home this morning, and I needed to get that key back," Jackie shrugged.

"I'm surprised you made it all the way here dressed like that without someone pulling over and offering you a ride," Hyde grinned before adding, "and some money for sex."

Jackie's face grew red, an angry shade of red unlike anything Hyde had ever seen before. He saw her reach for the newspaper on the table so he quickly shielded his head and face with his arms before the blows could hit. In a fit of fury Jackie pounded on him with all the strength her 95 pound body could muster; one knee jabbed into his side while the other dug into his thigh; one arm hit him with the paper as the other one slapped his bicep. Throughout the whole onslaught Jackie screamed "I hate you", or, "you're an asshole", as well as Hyde's favourite, "I never want to see you again!"

Eventually Hyde realised that she wasn't gonna give up, which surprised him because surely she had a killer hangover, so he wrapped his arms around hers preventing her from hitting him anymore. Trying to break free she tried to pry Hyde's arms off of hers.

"Jackie calm down," Hyde ordered, astonished at the strength of this tiny woman.

"No," Jackie yelled into his ear. "I hate you Hyde! How dare you call me a prostitute!"

Hyde slapped her bare thigh, hard enough so that she stopped thrashing about.

"To be fair Jackie," he started as she checked out the red mark forming on her thigh, "I never actually called you a prostitute, I merely implied that you may be dressed like one…"

She started struggling again so he tightened his grip before continuing. "….and I only implied that because _you_ implied that I was stalking you and had tried to take advantage of you."

Jackie stopped struggling and turned to look at Hyde. She bit her lip and for the first time ever Hyde imagined kissing that lip. It was then that he realised Jackie was sitting on his lap wearing next to nothing and his arms were around her.

 _Holy crap!_ he thought, _what the fuck is going on here?_

He released his grip and hoped that Jackie would get the hell off him. She didn't.

"Hyde, I'm really sorry, I really am. I shouldn't have said what I said, so I guess I deserved being told I look like a prostitute," Jackie said sadly.

"Look, let's say we're even okay? Now, you wanna get off me before I lose all feeling in my legs?" Hyde tapped Jackie's leg until she finally stood up, and then he quickly stood up after her.

Jackie turned around to face him, her eyes shining. "So we're good then?" she asked hopefully. "Friends?"

Hyde wasn't sure how he felt about them being friends but he did know he didn't feel like getting into round two with her so he nodded his head. "Ah..friends," he agreed.

Jackie beamed before poking her head around the room. "I still need that water Hyde, I've walked a long way remember? Dressed like a prostitute."

Hyde chuckled, rather impressed that Jackie was already able to laugh at herself. He figured it couldn't hurt to give her a glass of water.

"Come on then," he said as he walked out to the bar, "I'll even put some ice and a slice of lemon in it for you."

...

 _ **6pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

Jackie had been sitting at the end of the bar for over an hour, her water long gone, the ice long ago melted. She gently swirled the squishy lemon around in the bottom of the glass and contemplated the walk back to her dorm. She didn't want to go, she had nothing to go home to after all, but she knew she couldn't stay here drinking water all night.

"Are you just gonna keep playing with that or can I get you another one?" the brown eyed barman, who she now knew as Kerin, asked.

Jackie sighed and pushed her glass toward him. "I may as well have one for the road," she said, her head in her hand.

Kerin took her glass and put it with the rest of the dirty glasses. "I'll even give you a fresh glass," he grinned.

Jackie smiled at him but her eyes soon wandered over his shoulder to where she could see Hyde yelling into the phone. "What's wrong with Hyde?" she asked. "He looks more mad than usual."

Kerin put her glass of water down and turned around to see Hyde. "Yeah he's pretty pissed. The guys he hired last night have already called in sick. Typical college students, as soon as Saturdays roll around they don't wanna work," he explained.

Jackie's eyes lit up. This was just the opportunity she needed. She wouldn't have to go home, and she would be earning money at the same time. Perfect!

"So you guys need someone to work tonight?" she asked Kerin with a smile.

"Yeah we do," he answered just as a customer called out for a drink. "Back later," he said quickly before going to serve the lady.

Jackie went to the bathroom to fix herself up a little. She wanted to look her best before she approached Hyde for a job. He had to hire her…..he just had to. Sure they'd only been on speaking terms for a few hours but already their friendship was showing signs of progress; he hadn't burned her in an hour; he hadn't called her spoiled in 40 minutes; and he hadn't rolled his eyes at her in half an hour. Granted, most of that time he had been busy working, but progress was progress and in Jackie's eyes that progress was going to lead to a job.

She brushed her hair and tied it up in a neat ponytail, and dabbed on some more lip gloss. It was a shame Hyde wasn't a typical guy, he wasn't going to give her a job on her looks alone, but surely it'd help.

Jackie retied her white shirt just above her naval before pulling the bathroom door open and striding over to Hyde. He still looked super mad, lucky for him Jackie was about to make him a super offer.

"I hear you need a worker?" Jackie enquired as she lent down on her elbow next to where Hyde was busy going through a phonebook.

He didn't take his eyes off of the page. "Still here Jackie? Don't you have water at your dorm?"

Jackie chose to ignore his comments, he was stressed, and she needed a job. "You know, I'm looking for a job, the street ain't easy for us hookers here in Milwaukee."

That got a smile out of him.

"That's sad to hear, but I don't have a job for you here sorry. I need a _worker_ , not a princess," he said, looking at her for a moment. She put her hand over the phonebook, demanding his attention.

"Hyde come on, give me a chance. You need a worker, I need a job…."

"No Jackie."

"But if you give me a chance…"

"No."

"you'll see…"

"No."

"that I _can_ work hard…"

"No."

"and I am great at customer service…"

"No."

"and people love me…."

"No."

"so I'll bring in customers…"

"No."

Finally Jackie sighed and looked Hyde square in his shade covered eyes. "Hyde I'm broke and desperate," she pleaded.

Hyde stood, arms folded. He looked at the floor then back up at Jackie. "Okay," he said reluctantly.

Jackie squealed before impulsively wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh my god thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this, I _promise_."

Hyde pulled her arms away before warning her that this was just a trial and if she couldn't do the work she wouldn't get the job. He also rambled something about bartending being completely different to standing around a mall holding cheese but it was all in one ear and out the other for Jackie. She had a job and somewhere to spend her nights.

She also had a sneaky suspicion that she had a new friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: A huge thank you to those of you who have reviewed! It is so cool reading your comments and knowing that some people are enjoying the story. Thank you a trillion._**

 ** _(Oh - and in this chapter Jackie n Hyde aren't pouring Guinness - I don't know what they're pouring on tap - you can all decide in your own heads lol. Thank you so, so much BluLady for the heads up!)_**

* * *

 _ **October 7**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1980**_

 _ **Tuesday**_

 _ **2.40pm**_

 _ **University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Halls of Residence**_

Jackie skipped up the corridor to her room with an extra bounce in her step. The extra bounce didn't come from her morning classes, they had bored her to tears and all she'd done in them was write a letter to Donna. It also didn't come from the last hour she had spent in the stuffy old library. No, in there all she had done was write a letter to Bob. The bounce seemed to come from the knowledge that tonight she had her second shift at Hyde's bar.

Unlocking her bedroom door she prayed Sarah wasn't inside, she didn't want that black cloud ruining her happy day. To her delight the miserable mess of black wasn't there. _Probably out mixing up potions with the rest of her coven,_ Jackie thought as she tossed her satchel onto her bed.

She opened her closet and pulled out the dreary black and green 'Masterson's Irish Bar' t-shirt Hyde insisted she had to wear, and a pair of tight jeans. It was unusually mild today, and the bar was always stuffy so the thought of wearing jeans was already making Jackie feel sweaty. She dropped the jeans and looked for a pair of shorts or a skirt before remembering Hyde's words to her on Saturday night, "Jeans Jackie, no shorts, no tiny skirts, got it? This isn't Hooters man. If you walk in here dressed as you are now I'm driving you home myself and personally banning you from coming back in."

 _Damn Hyde,_ she thought as she picked the jeans back up and skipped off to the shower.

One hour later, with a perfectly made up face and freshly blow dried locks, Jackie was ready to go. She grabbed her bag and clip clopped her way to the campus bus stop. Admittedly the bus wasn't a form of transport Jackie usually frequented, but with limited funds and a long night on her feet ahead of her it was her only option.

Finding a seat on the smelly bus wasn't hard at this time of the day with most students still in class so Jackie chose a seat closest to the front. Gazing out of the window she wondered why she was so eager to get to work. She'd never felt like this when she went to the cheese shop or to the salon. Mind you, she'd also never felt the immense loneliness she had been experiencing since moving to Milwaukee.

At least at the bar she had Hyde and Kerin to talk to.

Jackie lay her head back on the hard plastic seat and smiled at the irony of her situation - the one face she had always avoided being alone with in Eric's basement had become the face she was now rushing to see.

...

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

 _ **4.45pm**_

Hyde looked up from the bar before checking his watch.

"What are you doing here Jackie? Your shift doesn't start for another hour and fifteen minutes," he grumbled as Jackie pranced behind the bar swinging her bag.

"I know," she smiled. "But I had no classes so figured I'd prove my keenness by coming in early."

"You proved your keenness when you cried and begged for the job on Saturday, don't think I'm paying you extra because _you_ decided to come in early, I don't need you now, as you can see." Hyde gestured to the empty bar and went back to reading his paper.

Jackie threw her bag under the counter and sat up on the bar right next to Hyde's paper, forcing him to pull part of it out from under her leg.

"It's okay Hyde, you don't have to pay me," she stated as if doing him the favour.

"Good 'cause I'm not."

Hyde tried going back to the article he was reading about gas prices but Jackie's swinging legs were distracting him. It wasn't that they were uncovered like Saturday, she'd obviously listened and taken notice of his warning, it was just that they were _hers_ , and she was annoying.

"Have you got something to do Jackie? Homework or something?" he asked while folding his paper.

Jackie shook her head. "Nope, I'm all yours."

Her words made Hyde feel slightly sick and slightly turned on at the same time. What was it with her? He had hated this chick for as long as he could remember but since she'd come back into his life less than five days ago he'd started liking something about her.

Her body, it had to be her body. Jackie had filled out in all the right places, so that had to be what he was a little attracted to. It couldn't possibly be her personality. She was still as annoying as hell.

"Well I don't need ya man so why don't you run along out back and file your nails or something," he grumbled, turning away from her and her hot little body.

Jackie pushed herself off of the bar and followed him over to the soda fridge. "Seeing as we have nothing to do why don't you show me how to pour beers properly? I don't want to spend all night clearing glasses again," Jackie asked enthusiastically.

Hyde opened a carton of sodas and started restocking the fridge. " _We_ don't have nothing to do, that's just you. As you can see I have plenty to do."

He was annoyed when Jackie bent down, grabbed a few sodas and tried to help him, getting in his way in the process.

"I can help you do what you have to do and then you can show me how to pull a perfect pint," she bargained with a big grin that Hyde tried to avoid looking at.

"No Jackie, just go out back would ya? Or better still, go for a walk around town or something. I'll see you at six when your shift starts."

He took the sodas out of her hand and put them in the fridge himself trying not to notice the way Jackie's face dropped before she turned and walked to the back room.

Five minutes later the soda fridge was full, much to Hyde's dismay. There was literally nothing left to do in the bar except read the friggin' paper, but if a certain someone saw him doing that she'd demand he teach her how to pour pints.

 _Dammit!_ he thought, cursing himself for giving her the job. She was getting into his head and his head had been doing just fine without her in it.

It was the pout man, the cute pout she'd done whilst begging that had forced him to give in to her. He'd learnt a valuable lesson that night….he was a sucker for a desperate girl with a cute pout, something he would be sure to avoid in the future.

Something he was avoiding right now knowing that she was sure to be sitting out back with that same damn pout.

He killed two minutes by cutting up another lemon, a lemon that they probably wouldn't even need, and then checked the time. It was only five o'clock. There was still a whole hour before her shift started; a whole hour with him knowing Jackie was out the back pouting.

 _Fuck it._

He walked to the back door way and saw her sitting in his recliner staring out of the window.

"Jackie," he said, voice full of defeat. She ignored him. "Jackie, you wanna come learn how to pull a pint or what?"

Jackie swung around and jumped out of her seat. "Yes!" she cried as she scurried into the bar and wrapped an apron around her waist.

Hyde smiled as he watched her grab a beer jug ready for her lesson. He couldn't help but find such enthusiasm silly; in a few weeks she'd be rueing the day she ever learned to pull a pint but, oh well, if that's what the lady wants…

...

 _ **5.05pm**_

Hyde took the jug off Jackie and handed her a small glass. "Let's not waste too much beer huh?" he smirked.

Jackie laughed and nodded, knowing he was right. She was relieved that he had changed his mind and agreed to teach her. His earlier dismissal had left her feeling utterly disregarded, even more so than the times he'd burned her back in Point Place. She wondered why the way Hyde treated her now was having such an effect on her, he was after all still a scruffy guy who wore sunglasses when there was no sun. His opinion on anything shouldn't matter.

She pulled the lever down and poured a beer. Well, not much of a beer but more of a glass of froth.

"Tilt the glass man, like I told you the other night," Hyde instructed from beside her. He took the glass out of her hand and tipped the froth down the sink. "Right, try again, this time _tilting_ the glass as you go."

Jackie did as she was told and was liking what she saw. "Look! I'm doing it!" she exclaimed proudly just before the beer started running out of the glass and down onto the drip trays.

Hyde jammed the lever up to stop the flow of beer and grabbed the glass. "You tilted too much!" he growled.

"Well you never told me that I could tilt too much, so technically it's your fault," Jackie moaned.

Hyde moved over and gently nudged her out of the way with his hip. "Here, watch me," he ordered.

Jackie watched him alright. She watched the way the muscles on his arm expanded as he pulled the lever down. She also watched the way his big hand made the glass look so small. The only thing she didn't watch was how he actually poured the beer.

"You got it?" he asked as he held the glass of brown liquid with only a little froth on top in front of her face.

"Um, yeah, I got it," she answered, just a little flustered.

She took another glass and tried to pour another beer but her mind was completely off the job. Instead she was wondering when the hell she had decided that Steven Hyde was hot. She couldn't think he was hot. She just couldn't. It had to be the loneliness. And the desperate need for friends. Hell if Red was here she'd probably think he was hot.

 _Oh my god what is wrong with me!_

"Jackie! What the hell are you doing?" Hyde yelled, once again jamming the lever back up. Jackie had wasted a copious amount of beer and Hyde was now pissed.

"I'm sorry Hyde, I'm sorry!" she apologised as she attempted to wipe up the beer that had spilled behind the bar with the soaked towel.

Hyde shook his head and threw a clean towel to her. "Look, you know how to pour every other drink right?" he asked. Jackie nodded. "Okay so I'll do beers tonight and you do the rest."

Jackie bit her lip and felt about two feet tall. Hyde probably thought she was such an idiot and she desperately wanted to make him see that he'd done the right thing by giving her this job. She'd learn to pull a pint if it was the last thing she did.

"Yeah okay," she agreed, "but this little arrangement won't last for long. I'll be pouring the best beers ever in no time."

Hyde looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Ah, okay then," he said before tossing the wet bar towel into the washing bucket.

Jackie rocked on her feet, wondering what she should do now that their lesson had been a total failure. She decided to do what she did best, talk.

"So, what time does Kerin start tonight?"

Hyde was adjusting the stereo and didn't turn around. "He's not on tonight. Tuesdays and Thursdays are his nights off," he told her.

Jackie leaned against the bar and inspected her nails. One was chipped, she'd have to get onto that tomorrow in class. "Oh okay. He seems like a nice guy," she stated, not really listening to her own words.

"Yeah he's pretty cool. You into him? I know he thinks you're a bit of alright."

This information got Jackie's attention and she looked up. "A bit of alright? What's that supposed to mean?"

Hyde was smirking as he leaned against the stereo. "It means he thinks you're hot."

Jackie hadn't been called hot in a while, well for the two weeks she'd been in Milwaukee anyway, and she liked it. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"Oh does he now?" she said as her thoughts turned to Kerin. "Hmmm, Kerin huh?"

Jackie hadn't taken much notice of Kerin on the two occasions she'd met him. The first time she was too drunk and the second time she was more concerned with not looking like a prostitute, and landing this job. Perhaps she needed to take a bit of notice of the tall bartender? After all it had to be better than checking out Steven Hyde, a guy who couldn't stand her.

Hyde folded his arms, still grinning. "So does that mean your single at the moment? No boyfriend to boss around? I mean love?" he asked sarcastically.

Jackie gave him an evil eye and also folded her arms. "Yes Hyde, I'm single. I haven't had a boyfriend since I broke up with Jake Bradley a year ago," she informed him.

Hyde pulled a face. "That's not what I heard, I heard you and Fez had a thing going over New Years."

"Wait, you talk about me?" Jackie asked enthusiastically.

" _No,_ Donna talks about you, I just happen to be in the same room while she's talking. So, is it true? Did you do the dirty with the foreign perv?"

Jackie's 'relationship' with Fez made her cringe. She'd dated him out of pure loneliness. Hold up, that meant she'd been lonely long before moving to Milwaukee. But she hadn't noticed it to this degree when she was in Point Place even though it had clearly been slapping her in the face….and kissing her on the lips….

"No Hyde, I did not 'do the dirty' with Fez. I dated him for like a week, and kissed him once. It was a mistake, a mistake I'd rather not talk about thank you very much."

Jackie turned around to face the bar floor, suddenly wishing she hadn't come into work early. Perhaps if she hadn't then she wouldn't be having this conversation with Hyde.

She could hear Hyde laughing behind her and she began cringing about Fez all over again. As the anger boiling inside her bubbled to the surface Jackie swung back around with a scowl.

"So Hyde, how are the sluts here in Milwaukee? I bet you see a lot of them?" she sniped.

Hyde grinned. "I see a few. They're okay, they aren't pervy, or desperate, so I guess I'm winning."

Whatever Jackie had found attractive in Hyde a few minutes ago flew out the open glass doors immediately. He was still the same asshole he'd also been. Always taking a burn to a level that stung badly. A level no one else ever chose to go.

"Oh I'd say they're desperate Hyde, they'd have to be to sleep with a dirty piece of trash like you." She stormed past him throwing her apron on the bar as she went. "I'll be back out at six," she snarled.

Sure, he'd chased her out of the bar, but he wasn't gonna chase her out of the job altogether. She would be back out at six.

...

 _ **5.58pm**_

Hyde handed two customers their drinks and glanced at his watch. It was almost six and he wondered whether Jackie would come out to start her shift. Not that he cared. Well he kinda cared, he did need someone to work, but he didn't care that he'd upset her. He hadn't constantly checked to make sure her bag was still under the counter. No, he didn't know whether the medium sized black and grey leather handbag was still sitting next to the unopened box of cola sodas.

He didn't know and he didn't care.

"Another white thanks," a middle-aged lady in front of him said as he glanced at his watch again.

"Sure thing," he muttered, pulling a bottle of white out of the fridge and filling a fresh glass. He handed her the glass and took her money, not noticing Jackie walk out and put her apron back on.

When he turned around to walk to the cash register he was surprised, and somewhat relieved, to see her serving a guy at the end of the bar. He smiled nervously as she walked toward him to grab a Corona out of the beer fridge.

"Hey," he said as they crossed paths. He was taken aback when Jackie didn't acknowledge, or even look, at him as she reached into the fridge and pulled out the beer. But the bar was too busy for him to deal with her right now though, so he continued to serve customers while she continued to ignore him.

He didn't watch her while she worked, no he didn't watch her at all. He didn't watch the way she laughed when guys openly flirted with her. He didn't watch the way she twirled the end of her pony tail when she openly flirted back.

He didn't watch because he didn't care.

As long as she was working he didn't care about Jackie Burkhart one little bit.

He wasn't jealous of the way she had seemed interested in Kerin. He was Hyde, nothing made him jealous, and nothing made him care. It wasn't jealousy that had made him burn her about Fez. He wasn't jealous that Fez had actually kissed those pouty, pink lips. He wasn't jealous that Kerin might get a chance to kiss those lips.

She was Jackie Burkhart, the most annoying girl he'd ever had the displeasure of knowing, and he didn't care who kissed her so long as it wasn't him.

"Um Hyde," Jackie said as she nervously approached him at the cash register.

"What's up?" Hyde tried to sound friendly as he turned to face her.

She nodded toward the bar. "A guy over there wanted a beer, I've tried to pour two but he's been unhappy with both of them. Would you mind doing it for him?"

Hyde was about to rip into her. He had fucking told her that he'd pour the beers, but no, she had to be all proud and now she'd pissed off a customer and wasted two beers. But he composed himself and nodded.

"Sure Jackie, what kinda beer did he want?" he asked coolly.

Jackie pointed to the lever and Hyde poured the beer while she waited.

"It's busy tonight huh?" she said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, it is, but its Tuesday so the rush will be over in a couple of hours. It's a school night after all," he said as he handed her the beer.

She smiled a sweet smile and thanked him, while he cursed himself for thinking that her smile was sweet.

 _Damn chicks and their smiles and pouts!_

The rest of the night went smoothly; Jackie told him when beers needed to be poured and he didn't yell at her when she dropped glasses and smashed them.

He also didn't yell at her when she batted her eyelids at the seedy businessmen who came in. Even though he wanted to.

By 10.30pm there were only a couple of stragglers left in the bar finishing their drinks and playing pool. Hyde poured himself a beer and sat at the bar while Jackie wiped down some nearby tables. He tried to keep his eyes on the TV screen in the corner but he couldn't help checking out her butt every time she bent over to wipe down a table.

"What are you staring at Hyde?" she grinned with an eyebrow raised.

Hyde frowned. "I'm not staring at anything."

Jackie finished the last table and walked over to spray and wipe the sticky bar. "Yes you are, I can see you looking."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm only checking to make sure you're doing your job properly. I won't be paying you if I have to redo everything your meant to have done," he stated before taken a swig of his beer, his thoughts trailing back to their earlier argument.

He hadn't meant to upset her as much as he had. And the fact was they were now gonna have to see each other four nights a week so he didn't want any girly grief on those nights. He knew he had to apologise, as much as he didn't want to.

"Hey Jackie," he called over to her.

"Yeah?" she said, still frantically wiping the bar.

"Look, I ah, I didn't mean to upset you earlier, y'know, with the Fez stuff. I was just kidding around man," he said even though he hadn't been 'kidding around'. He really didn't get why on earth Jackie hooked up with Fez of all people. It was weird. And creepy. Not that he was jealous.

Jackie looked over at him and smiled. "It's okay," she assured him. "That's what we do right? Me and you? We argue, that's just us. But for the record I'm sorry too for calling you dirty trash."

"That's cool, I deserved it." Hyde grinned at his new barmaid. "Hey, do you want a drink?" he offered, tipping his beer in her direction.

Jackie shook her head and shuddered. "Not of alcohol, I'm sure I can still taste the wine from Friday night," she said. "A soda would be nice though, actually a hot chocolate would be even better."

Hyde, who had stood up to get her a soda, stopped in his tracks. "Uh, we don't sell hot chocolates in here princess, its alcohol or soda."

Jackie walked around the bar and brushed past him causing the little hairs on his body to stand on end. "I bet you have hot chocolate upstairs," she challenged.

"Yeah, but we still have customers, we can't go upstairs," Hyde said gesturing to the two fuckwits still playing pool. "Can't kick 'em out for another 20 minutes."

Squeezing out her cloth at the sink Jackie turned to him and grinned. "You're not doing anything _boss_ , you could go upstairs and make me one and bring it back down."

She was testing him, she had to be. He didn't making girls hot chocolates, never had, never would. The girls he took home every weekend were lucky to get a glass of water before their cabs arrived. No one got hot chocolates.

"Ah, no," Hyde said as he sat back down at the bar. "I'm your boss, not your grandma."

"Really? I'm just a poor student who has studied all day and worked all night and all I want is a hot chocolate," Jackie pouted.

"Jackie, I'm not Kelso and Fez, I'm not gonna crack just because you whinge and moan," Hyde said dismissively.

"Oh, you just had to bring Fez up again huh? Is he now the burn that will never end?" Jackie arched an eyebrow before tossing her cloth in the sink.

 _Fuck! Here we go again!_

Hyde didn't want her to be angry again, he had started to like it when they got on, shockingly. But he also didn't want to be a girl and make her a hot chocolate. He sat for a moment and took a large scull of his beer.

 _Dammit!_ he thought as he stood up and walked around the bar to the back room.

"Sugar?" he asked as he walked past Jackie.

"One please," Jackie smiled as she flicked him with her apron.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Saturday, October 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **1980**_

 _ **4pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

"You're late," Hyde teased as Jackie ran in the door brushing the drops of rain from her arms. A look of panic washed over her face before she glanced at the Guinness clock that adorned the otherwise empty bar wall and frowned at him.

"No I'm not, it's 4 on the dot, I'm on time," she argued, still trying to rid her clothes of the tiny droplets of water that had fallen on her as she'd dashed from the bus stop to the bar.

Hyde loved winding her up, she was just too easy. She always had been.

"Jackie, it clearly states in your contract that you're meant to be here 10 minutes before your shift begins so that you have time to organise yourself before you start. Getting here right on the dot just isn't good enough."

Jackie's face flushed a light shade of red and her bottom lip dropped. "I don't remember signing a contract? But I'll make up the time Hyde, I promise. I'm really sorry, it's just that the bus was running late, and then an old lady took forever to get on at one of the stops. The driver even had to get off and help her on. Old people shouldn't be catching buses you know…."

Hyde decided right then that he had to let her off so he held his hand up telling her to stop with the excuses. "Jackie, I was kidding, it's fine man. Look around, there's only one person in here," he grinned before turning back to the bar notice board and pinning a piece of paper on it.

"You're such an asshole Hyde," Jackie moaned as she started walking away.

"Hold up," Hyde called out to her before she got too far. "This is a bit of you isn't it?" he asked holding up a pink piece of paper he was about to pin on the board.

Jackie walked back and snatched it out of his hand, briefly reading it before giving it back to him.

"Not really," she said, disinterested.

If Hyde had been punched in the face right then he would've been less surprised. Jackie Burkhart, head cheerleader of all things cheerleady _not_ interested in college cheer tryouts? Perhaps he'd woken up in an alternate universe? Perhaps he'd smoked too much film before he opened the bar? Perhaps Jackie wasn't really Jackie?

He quickly pinned the pink piece of paper to the board and jogged the 10 feet to catch up to his employee.

"What's up Jackie? Why aren't you trying out?" Hyde didn't know why he asked the question as he was 95% positive that he didn't actually care, but something about the situation had grabbed his attention and he was intrigued.

Jackie shoved her handbag in what had become its usual spot under the counter and started tying her long hair back in a ponytail. With her arms up high her t-shirt rode up exposing her stomach and Hyde's eyes were fixed on the smooth, creamy skin that surrounded her naval.

"Are you even listening to me?" He heard her ask.

"Huh?" Hyde asked quickly taking his eyes off of her stomach and returning them to her grumpy face.

"I was saying that I don't want to be a cheerleader anymore," she said once she'd finished wrapping the last bit of elastic around her hair.

"Really? But that shit's you're bread and butter, you loved cheering."

Pouring herself a large glass of water Jackie shrugged. "Not anymore."

Hyde adjusted his shades and folded his arms across his chest. "I don't get it. That's _you_ Jackie….you're a cheerleader. Shouldn't you be milking all the perks you always said came with it until you're outta college?"

Jackie's big doe eyes became mere slits as she scowled. "That's not who I am Hyde, cheerleading was just something I did, and now I'm choosing not to do it. It's simple."

"But what about all your little cheerleader friends? Won't they miss you? Hang on, won't they, god forbid, _ostracize_ you?" questioned Hyde, sarcastically putting a hand over his mouth. When Jackie's facial expression suddenly changed from anger to what looked like sadness Hyde felt bad.

 _No, I don't feel bad….I don't feel bad for Jackie. She's Jackie….who cares?_

"What cheerleader friends?" she said solemnly.

Just as Hyde was about to take the conversation further Kerin bounded in from out the back.

"Hey Jackie, how are ya?" he asked, sitting a rack of clean glasses down on the bar.

Hyde couldn't help but notice the way Jackie's sad eyes quickly lit up at the sight of Kerin.

"Hi Kerin, I'm good thanks, how are you?" she smiled over at the tall barman.

Kerin leaned against the bar and smiled a big toothy smile. "Can't complain," he said before asking, "so did you check out that movie I told you to go see?"

"No I haven't had a chance yet, I want to see it though," Jackie answered.

The obvious flirting sickened Hyde and it wasn't because he was jealous, it was only because his staff were using his time to make stupid eyes at each other.

"What movies this?" Hyde asked, even though he didn't care.

"Fame," Kerin informed him, "it's about a performing arts.."

"I know what it's about, I don't live under a rock y'know," Hyde snapped. "It sounds like a stupid movie, bunch a kids leaping about in leotards singing….if I wanted to see that I'd go n watch a Point Place High school production."

Through the corner of his eye he saw Jackie roll her eyes just before she turned back to Kerin.

"Ignore him," she said, "He's never had any taste….."

"You wanna talk about taste Jackie? One word, three letters, first letter rhymes with F, actually, first letter is F."

Jackie ignored him and carried on her conversation with Kerin. "So like I was saying, Hyde doesn't have taste, but I do and I really will try and make it to that movie sometime. I'll just have to work out the session times and the bus timetable."

Now it was Hyde's turn to roll his eyes at Jackie's lack of subtly. If he didn't hate her so much he'd be embarrassed for her. So before he had to listen to her fall all over herself when Kerin turned into her knight in shining armour, Hyde walked out the back. He needed some more film.

But not because he was jealous.

He hated Jackie after all.

…

 _ **11pm**_

The music pumping out of the speakers was loud, so loud that Jackie was finding it difficult to hear the orders that were flying at her from every direction.

"Two gin and tonics and one bourbon and cola?" she yelled at a girl she recognised from one of her classes.

"Yes!" the girl yelled back.

Jackie poured the drinks and decided that this was the worst part of her job; serving people from college that never bothered speaking to her in class. She wondered if she had ever made the staff who worked for her parents feel like that when she was growing up – like they weren't worth anything and merely existed to serve her and her parents. It sickened her to think that she probably had.

She smiled as she placed the drinks in front of the girl and thanked her when she paid, her politeness however was not reciprocated.

"God some people are rude," she said to Hyde when he started pulling a pint next to her.

"Yeah I guess," he agreed without even looking at her.

He'd been like that all night, barely acknowledging Jackie, only speaking to her when he absolutely had to. She had decided it couldn't be about their earlier semi-argument as it hadn't been anything major. She and Hyde had weathered far bigger verbal wars that had left far bigger scars than that one.

Wiping up the beer he'd spilt Jackie figured she wasn't going to let it bug her. Hyde blew hot n cold all the time, he had since they were kids, he'd soon get over whatever it was that was bothering him. But as much as she told herself that Hyde ignoring her didn't matter, the fact was it did. They'd been getting on pretty well over the last few weeks; she'd come in, do her shift; he'd make her a hot chocolate at the end; they'd chat; he'd drive her home. Things had been, dare she say it, _good_ between the two of them.

So what had changed?

Pouring a vodka and lemonade she decided to ask Kerin what he thought of Hyde's behaviour. "What's up with him tonight?" she asked, nodding in Hyde's direction.

Kerin looked over at Hyde then carried on pouring an orange juice. "I dunno, you know what he gets like sometimes. I reckon his moods change with moon," Kerin joked.

Jackie handed over the vodka to a waiting customer and turned back to Kerin. "Yeah I know he gets grumpy but it doesn't usually last this long, like nearly a whole shift," she moaned as she watched Hyde pour some wines.

"Don't worry, he'll be smiling soon," Kerin said with a wink.

"What do you mean?"

Kerin nodded toward the end of the bar where an attractive lady in her late 20's sat. "Amanda's here," he grinned.

"Amanda? Who's Amanda?" Jackie asked, staring at 'Amanda'.

"She's just a lady that comes in once or twice a fortnight to see Hyde…..guess tonight's his lucky night, as well as our lucky night, coz now that she's here he'll cheer up soon." Kerin slapped Jackie lightly on the back before taking another order.

Jackie knew there were customers waiting but she couldn't take her eyes off Amanda.

And Hyde noticed.

"Jackie!" he growled as he walked past her, "get back to work, I don't pay you to stand there!"

* * *

The rest of the shift went by slowly as Jackie watched Amanda sip drinks. And Amanda chat to Hyde. And Hyde smile at Amanda.

She found herself trying to remember if Hyde had ever smiled at her like that. Not that she wanted him to of course. He was Hyde, he was in no way good enough for someone like Jackie Burkhart.

Not that Jackie Burkhart was anyone much in this town. But she was still better than Amanda.

 _God I hate Amanda._

She didn't know why she hated the short lady with shoulder length black hair so much, after all, her make-up was done nicely and her clothes were in fashion too…but something about the way Hyde smiled at her made Jackie hate her. Not that she cared what Hyde got up to in his own time, it was his business, but right now wasn't 'his time', right now he should be working like her and Kerin were instead of making stupid eyes at Amanda.

By closing time Hyde and Amanda were getting right up Jackie's nose. As she wiped down the alcohol covered tables she had the perfect view of Hyde and Amanda cosied up at the bar. Hyde's hand crept up Amanda's short pink skirt and it made Jackie want to slap him. Then Amanda, the cow, kept running her hand up and down Hyde's bicep as she nibbled on his neck so Jackie wanted to slap her too.

 _Get a room! she_ thought as she walked back up to the bar.

So engrossed in the dirty orphan boy and his tramp, Jackie never saw the big wooden broom lying on the floor outside the men's room. The broom that was right in her path. As her foot caught under the handle there was nothing Jackie could do to stop the momentum. She was falling, and falling fast. Down crashed her body. Down crashed the last remnants of dignity she had.

The pain in Jackie's ankle was instantaneous and her whole body went numb. Dizzy with pain she tried to sit up.

"Fuck Jackie! You okay?" Hyde was at her side in an instant. He put an arm around her back and gently helped her sit up.

"My ankle," she cried, the tears falling in steady streams down her cheek. She didn't want to cry, especially in front of Amanda, but the pain was too intense.

Hyde turned to Kerin who was running over. "Kerin you fucking idiot! Why the hell did you leave that lying there?" he yelled, tossing the broom at Kerin with the hand that wasn't around Jackie.

"Sorry boss, I had to go to the toilet. All the lights were on, I thought she would've seen it," said Kerin as he crouched down next to Jackie.

 _I would have if I hadn't been watching Hyde feel up the skank._

Hyde scowled at Kerin. "Idiot! Go get some ice," he ordered before looking at Jackie "I'll take you out back okay?"

Jackie nodded and wrapped her arms around Hyde's neck as he placed an arm under her legs and gently picked her up from off of the dirty bar floor. With his arms firmly holding her body Jackie felt safe and she put her head down on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Hyde asked quietly as they approached the counter.

"I feel sick," Jackie whimpered, omitting the bit about also feeling embarrassed and stupid. God she hoped Hyde didn't think she was as tragic as she felt.

"You may have broken it," Hyde stated, "I've heard people feel sick with they've broken a bone."

Hyde's diagnosis made Jackie cry even more. If her ankle was broken she was screwed. There was no one in this city to help her, and worse than that, she wouldn't be able to work which would mean no money.

And no Hyde.

Not that she cared.

As they reached the old recliner in the back room Jackie held on to Hyde a little tighter as if trying to squeeze out the last drops of comfort he was offering. She suddenly felt cold when he sat her down but she whispered a "thank you" anyway. Through the pinky tint on his shades she saw Hyde wink at her before he dragged another chair over and placed her ankle down on the chair and started to inspect the damage.

He lightly pressed the swollen area, his cold hands providing relief to the burning sensation in her ankle.

"It's really swollen," he said.

Ignoring the pain for a moment Jackie delighted in the concern she could hear in his voice.

Even though she didn't care.

But the moment, or non-moment, or whatever it was, was ruined when Kerin and Amanda walked in.

"Here you go," Kerin said handing Hyde ice wrapped up in a towel.

"I thought she might need this," Amanda said to Hyde as she handed Jackie a glass of water.

Jackie cringed as the audience of three stared down at her. If she could've run she would've bolted out of that room right then and there. But the way she was feeling meant that she had to sit and take the sympathetic looks and gestures with a smile.

Hyde held the ice gently on her ankle. "I'll drive you home okay?" he asked quietly. Jackie nodded, thinking the sooner the better.

"Nah boss, I'll take her," Kerin offered, much to Jackie's dismay.

It wasn't that she wanted Hyde in a romantic way, it was just that she wanted to be with someone she knew and trusted. Yeah, that's why she wanted him to drive her home.

"It's fine man, I'll take her now and come right back for clean up," Hyde said looking up at Kerin and Amanda.

Kerin nodded toward Amanda. "You have company Hyde, I can drop Jackie off, no problem," he smiled.

Jackie was sure she saw a flicker of annoyance cross Hyde's face but with the pain she was in she couldn't be sure. One thing she was sure of though, was that she wanted him to drive her home.

"Let him take her home Hyde, I can help you clean up here," said Amanda, not helping Jackie's situation any.

Hyde sighed and handed Kerin the makeshift icepack. "That's cool, you take her home then," he said as he stood up. "I'll just grab her bag."

Before Jackie could say 'no Hyde please take me home' Kerin had scooped her up into his arms and was already halfway out the door with her. She had one arm around his neck but kept her head upright despite the desperate craving to lie down.

"I'll have you home in no time," Kerin assured her as he sat her down on the front seat of his car and closed the door. With the blood now rushing to her ankle Jackie felt like it was on fire. Part of her wanted to check out Kerin's car - you could tell a lot about a guy from the car he drove - but tonight she just didn't care enough. She just wanted to get home.

The sound of footsteps crunching gravel made her look outside and she saw Hyde hand Kerin her handbag. She put a smile on her face and waited for him to look at her.

He didn't.

Jackie watched Hyde's retreating form as Kerin pulled the car out of the park. The annoyance she had seen on his face earlier must have been because he was annoyed at her. She'd screwed up his hot night with Amanda and now instead of feeling each other up the two of them had to clean the whole bar.

Actually, maybe stuffing her ankle wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you once again for the lovely reviews!**_

 _ **After reading over the chapters I have already written I've realised how long I'm taking to get J/H together...sorry to any people that are getting impatient, I have a habit of dragging things out, mostly because I just don't believe things would ever be that easy for our favourite couple. Keep reading though coz it will happen eventually!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sunday, October 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1980**_

 _ **11.30am**_

 _ **University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Halls of Residence**_

Hyde strode into Jackie's Halls of residence and was immediately confused. So many corridors, so many doors, how the hell was he meant to find her one? From his back pocket he pulled out the address he'd scribbled on a piece of paper, read it, and carried on aimlessly walking.

 _Block C Room 9. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Where the hell is block C?_

An orange Frisbee flying over his head caught his attention before he caught it and walked over to the guy that had thrown it.

"Sorry man, I wasn't aiming that at you," the ginger kid nervously told him.

"Hey it's cool," Hyde assured him, still holding the orange piece of plastic. "Listen, I'm lookin' for Jackie Burkhart's room, you know where that is?"

The kid shook his head before calling out and asking a group of six or so other guys if they knew where Jackie's room was. They all shook their heads and mumbled no.

Hyde was a little surprised. Back home everyone knew Jackie and where she lived. She was too loud and demanded too many rides home from school, the mall, and cheer practice, for people not to know her and her mansion. He figured that maybe now Jackie had decided to keep a low profile.

 _Smart girl,_ he thought.

"Well can you tell me where Block C is?" he asked holding up the address so the kid could read it.

"Oh yeah, for sure, it's just down the end there and to your right, you can't miss it."

"Cheers man," Hyde grinned before throwing the Frisbee out of the open doors.

As the guys all muttered 'asshole' under their breath Hyde made his way to Jackie's room.

He hadn't come to check that Kerin had actually brought her home last night. No, that wasn't the reason at all. He'd only come to check that she wasn't gonna sue the crap out of Patrick for her accident. He really had better things to do today, like sleep, but a quick visit with Jackie was essential to make sure that she wasn't about to lawyer up.

Well that's what he told himself anyway.

As he walked past room 10 he saw room 9's door open from the inside so he quickly raced to see if it was Jackie.

"Hey," he said as he reached the doorway.

A tall girl was standing just inside the room holding a toilet bag and clothes, obviously going to take a shower. "Um, hey," she smiled, looking Hyde up and down.

"Is Jackie here?" Hyde asked, trying to get a look over the brunette's shoulder.

The girl screwed her face up. "Jackie? Uh, yeah, she's over there," she said pointing to a bed.

"Thanks," Hyde smiled as the brunette stepped outside so that he could enter.

"Hey Jackie," he said to the lump in the bed as the door swung closed behind him.

There was no answer so he approached the bed and crouched down. All he could see was Jackie's screwed up face squashed into her pillow and her hair messed up all around her. He smirked. What a great photo opportunity - if only he had a camera. The picture before him would've been his golden ticket a couple of years ago. With it he could've made Jackie his slave knowing she would do _anything_ to stop it from getting into the school paper.

But it wasn't years ago.

There was no school paper now.

And for some reason the thought of destroying Jackie's reputation didn't appeal to him quite as much as it once had.

Taking a seat at the end of her bed he couldn't help but look up at her wall – and the stupid crap she had plastered all over it. The ABBA poster alone was enough to make him want to run screaming from her room. Over the last couple of weeks he had noticed a change in Jackie, and not just in a physical sense. She seemed to have grown up a bit; she wasn't so demanding and whiney, and she actually _worked._ Hell she worked harder than he did. The old Jackie would never have done the crap this Jackie did. But by the look of her walls maybe she hadn't changed that much.

 _Fucking ABBA….and she tells me I have no taste._

"Oh my god! Hyde? What are you doing here?" Jackie said startled, rubbing her eyes. She sat up a little, pulling her pink duvet up to cover her.

"Just thought I'd come see how the ankle was," Hyde informed her as he threw a stuffed teddy bear into the air and caught it again. The white teddy was holding a red heart and he bet it was from Kelso. He wanted to throw it out the window.

Jackie pulled her legs up closer to her. "Uh, it still hurts, a lot," she said. "But you didn't need to come all the way here to see me Hyde, I was going to ring you later and tell you whether or not I'll be able to work on Tuesday."

"So Kerin took you to emergency then? You've had an xray?"

Jackie shook her head. "No, he dropped me straight back here."

Hyde smirked. "Oh damn, didn't make it to Fame then?" he chided, secretly happy with this newly acquired knowledge.

Not that he cared whether or not she'd hung out with Kerin after they'd left last night.

Jackie picked up a rag doll and threw it at him. "Shut up Hyde!"

"Sorry Beulah," Hyde grinned, throwing the Kelso teddy bear at her.

"Oh my god, don't call me that _Steven!_ " she yelled as she tried to reach over onto the floor to pick up something else to throw at him. She nearly had a unicorn in her grasp when a sharp pain shot through her already pounding ankle. "Ow!" she cried.

Hyde quickly pushed himself over to the edge of the bed next to Jackie. "What is it? You okay?" he asked as he helped her get back on the bed properly.

She nodded but was clearly in pain.

"Why don't you throw on some clothes n I'll take you to get that looked at huh?"

"I don't 'throw on clothes', I get dressed, or I get ready, but whatever you call it, I need at least an hour _Steven,_ " she smirked.

Steven? No one called Hyde that except Mrs Forman and Edna. He'd usually punch someone out for referring to him as Steven, but for some reason he didn't mind Jackie calling him that. So he left it, and chose not to call her Beulah in return.

"Well the clocks ticking," he said as Jackie slowly climbed out of her bed. "So get a move on."

Grabbing a unicorn in one arm he moved himself into the spot Jackie had just vacated figuring that if he had to wait an hour he may as well get some sleep. He pulled the duvet over him and inhaled the sweet smell of Jackie that lingered over her pillow and blankets. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for thinking anything about Jackie's damn scent. God he could be a girl sometimes.

"Seriously _Steven_? You're going to sleep in my bed?"

"I sure am Jackie, and hey….take your time getting ready doll," he smiled as he drifted off to sleep.

...

Sitting on the end of her bed Jackie couldn't help but glance over at a sleeping Hyde every few minutes, or seconds, depending on who was counting. She couldn't help it, he just looked so damn cute all cuddled up with Fluffycakes' younger sister Blossom. She wished she had a camera to record this moment. Not to humiliate him with, but just for her to have and laugh at. Or maybe adore.

Picking up her mascara brush she carefully applied some of the black liquid to her eyelashes and admired her work. It'd only taken 40 minutes to do her face today, a personal best, and she knew she looked good. Perhaps the added pressure of having a sleeping Hyde next to her had sped her up? Perhaps orphan boy was good for something?

Jackie reached over and placed her make-up bag on the bookshelf at the end of her bed then turned back to look at Hyde. She imagined herself lying next to him...her creamy porcelain skin, next to his scruffy beard...it'd be like beauty and the beast. Although Hyde wasn't really a beast, well not anymore anyway. No, he'd be Danny Zuko next to her Sandy...the rebel and the princess.

Not that she liked him like that.

She couldn't.

Boys like Michael Kelso and Jake Bradley were the types of guys she went for. She liked the ones that had classic good looks, and played for the football team, and came from good homes. Hyde didn't tick any of those boxes.

But right now, lying in her bed, he was certainly ticking something inside of her.

Jackie shuffled over slightly so that her back was resting against Hyde's thighs. His thighs felt strong and muscly, like they would hold her weight easily. Not that she wanted to sit in his lap or anything.

She reached over and tickled his neck. "Wakey wakey sleeping beauty," she whispered with a smile. Hyde's eyes flickered a little but he didn't wake.

Picking up his sunglasses from her bedside table and putting them on, Jackie wondered what the rest of the gang from Point Place would make of this situation. It was by all accounts a strange one after all. If you were to ask anyone in Point Place, from the man who ran the corner store to the office lady at the high school, what Hyde thought of Jackie they would all tell you how much he hated her and could probably give a detailed account of a time and place where he had royally burned her. So for him to be asleep in her bed clutching Blossom was something no one would ever believe.

Especially the gang.

But they weren't here so it didn't matter what they thought.

With a small grin on her lips, and Hyde's shades on her eyes, Jackie carefully swung her legs up onto the bed and pushed her body up toward the top. She held her carefully blow dried hair in one hand as she lay down next to Hyde, setting it down on the side away from him. Their faces were now mere inches apart and their bodies were only separated by Blossom.

 _Damn you Blossom,_ Jackie cursed the unicorn who she swore had a smirk on it's face.

She could feel Hyde's soft breath on her cheek and she turned to look at him. He looked so peaceful, so content. He seemed so unlike the angry burnout from the Forman's basement that she was tempted to lean over and kiss his pink, fleshy lips.

But she didn't.

Instead she ran her hand lightly up and down his muscular forearm, imagining that forearm wrapped around her tiny waist.

 _God why am I thinking this stuff about him?!_

Because he was sweet that's why. Steven Hyde had all of a sudden become the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He gave her a job, gave her rides home, came to check on her when she was injured...this wasn't the Hyde she remembered. But it was a Hyde she was beginning to like. And not just physically.

Just as her fingers reached his leather watch Hyde opened his eyes. They looked at Jackie before trailing down to her hand.

"Ah, Jackie, what are you doing?" he asked, still groggy from sleep.

Jackie quickly pulled her hand away and pretended to dust something off onto the floor. "Oh you had a bug or something crawling up your arm, I just got it off you...you're welcome by the way," she said, trying not to look him in the eye.

Never before had she noticed how blue Steven Hyde's eyes were, or how intense they were when he looked at a person. Or how gorgeous they were. She wondered why he always kept them covered with his ridiculous glasses. If Jackie had seen them years ago she just might have paid more attention to him.

But probably not.

It was as if Hyde was reading her thoughts because before she knew it he was removing the shades from her face and putting them on his own.

"I'll have those," he said before rolling onto his back and stretching his body.

"Why do you always wear them? I never noticed how pretty your eyes were before because you always have them covered."

"Jackie, for one, I don't have 'pretty eyes', I just have eyes, and for two, can we go now? I'm getting hungry," he asked as he sat up.

"I've been ready for ages _Steven,_ you're the one whose been holding us up." Jackie rolled off of the bed and limped to get her purse.

"How's it feeling?" Hyde asked as he stood up and adjusted his sweatshirt.

Jackie looked down at her fat cankle and frowned. "It's so sore," she moaned. "God I hope it's not broken, I'll die."

"Jackie you won't die, it'll just suck," he said. "Now come on ya cripple, let's go find out if you're still gonna be any use to me at the bar."

Hyde wrapped an arm around Jackie's waist and at his touch she immediately felt butterflies in her stomach. She put her hand on his shoulder and limped to the door with him supporting most of her weight.

"Thanks so much Hyde."

"Anything for you doll," Hyde winked before opening her bedroom door and helping her out.

...

 _ **Milwaukee General A & E**_

 _ **3.30pm**_

Hyde sat next to Jackie in the crowded waiting room flicking through a women's magazine wondering why all waiting rooms only seemed to cater to women. Where were the car mags? Or the hunting mags? Or the music mags? He wanted anything _but_ a magazine about cooking, sewing, gossip and freakin' fashion.

Throwing the magazine onto the large round table in front of him he turned to Jackie. "How do you read that shit?" he asked her, raising a few annoyed glances from the mothers with children in the room.

Jackie didn't take her eyes off her magazine. "They're good, I like them," she mumbled as she turned the page and carried on reading some drivel about Donny Osmond and his family.

Hyde sighed and fell back into his chair. "Christ this seat is uncomfortable! They give you these crap chairs so that you'll give up waiting and leave man."

Jackie closed the magazine and looked at him. "Steven if you want to leave just leave, I can get a cab home," she said quietly so as not to disturb the other people who were now staring at her and Hyde.

For some reason Hyde didn't want to leave, well not without Jackie anyway. It's just that the place was so damn boring.

"Nah man it's cool, I can wait," he mumbled folding his arms and resting his head back on the wall.

"Okay, thank you," Jackie whispered as she opened her magazine back up and continued reading.

For once, Jackie was quiet, and for once, Hyde didn't want her to be. She'd been quiet the whole ride to the hospital and had stayed quiet the whole time they were in the waiting room and he was hating it.

Jackie...the most annoying girl he'd ever met, was now the girl he wanted to talk to.

Jackie...the last girl he could _ever_ have imagined having sex with, was the reason he had woken up with a boner in her bed.

Of course it didn't help that she was laying next to him when he woke up. And it didn't help that she looked hot as anything curled up next to him and that her lips were so red and plump and moist that he had wanted to kiss the crap out of her.

None of that helped.

He had to stop thinking about her in bed so he decided to talk about the most boring thing on the planet. Cheerleading.

He nudged her arm. "So Jackie, how come you aren't trying out for the cheerleading team?"

She continued reading and sighed. "I told you, I don't want to be a cheerleader anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, you said all that yesterday. But I wanna know why not."

Jackie wouldn't look at him, her eyes firmly focused on the magazine in her perfectly manicured hands. "Just because," she said quietly.

Hyde was quiet for a moment as he thought over the last few weeks with Jackie. Throughout all the shifts she'd worked, and all their hot chocolates and rides home afterwards, she'd never once talked about any of her college friends. He had also never noticed her talk to any of the customers at work like they were her friends. And just earlier, when they'd left her dorm, she hadn't said anything to any of the other students they'd passed in the hallway.

He cleared his throat and nudged her again. "Hey Jackie," he whispered.

"What?" she snapped.

"You got many friends at college?"

Jackie's lip dropped and she closed the magazine. "Why?" she said turning to look at him. The sad expression on her face made him want to look away, so he did.

"Just wondering. Haven't heard you talk about any and you work every Friday n Saturday night so it's not like you're out there livin' it up with all the other students n shit," he said with a shrug.

Jackie moved closer to him, so close that he could feel her breath on his neck when she spoke. "I told you Steven, I need the money, I'm not here to live it up," she growled.

Hyde's gaze remained on the floor. "Yeah I know that, but where are your friends man? Where are the other bitchy cheerleaders you used to love hangn with?"

He knew he'd hit a nerve when Jackie threw her magazine onto the pile on the table. "Fine, you wanna know so bad? I'll tell you. I have no friends here Steven. None. At all. You happy now? You happy knowing that I'm living a lonely, miserable existence? One that you probably wished upon me?"

When he looked at her he saw the tears well up in her pretty round eyes and it made him feel like complete shit. Especially because he knew he had wished something to that effect on her the day she had told him his mother's clothes were slutty. He didn't think his wish would actually come true...none of the other ones had.

He quickly put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Hey Jackie don't cry, please don't cry," he whispered as he stroked her hair. A few women in the waiting room glared at him so he glared straight back. "Jackie, c'mon, I'm really sorry for bringing it up man, please stop crying."

Jackie wiped her eyes and stopped sobbing but kept her head in the crook of his arm. And he didn't mind one little bit.

He rubbed her arm and kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled nice, like perfume. He had always thought it would.

Not that he'd ever cared.

"How come?" he asked.

"How come what?" Jackie sniffled.

"How come you haven't made any friends?" If he found out some asshole had spread a rumour about her he'd be kicking someone's ass.

"I don't know. I tried. They all came here in their already formed little cliques. I was the only one who came from Point Place High and they just wouldn't let me in I guess. I think they're just jealous."

Hyde grinned and nodded. "Totally jealous," he agreed. "Must make it hard when you gotta be in class with them everyday n live with them as well though?"

"Yeah it sucks," Jackie sighed. "But I talk to Donna a couple times a week and have work at the bar so its not too bad I suppose."

Hyde gently played with a few strands of her hair that had fallen onto his hand. It was so soft and silky. Just like he thought it'd be.

"So have you tried with the other cheerleaders?"

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, of course. They were the first ones I went to."

 _Of course they were_ , thought Hyde as he rolled his eyes.

"And?" he asked.

"They were complete bitches. I went to a meeting during my first week there. They were all chatting n gossiping, y'know, like cheerleaders do. I started talking to a few girls, told them what they should n shouldn't be wearing because Steven, some of these girls just looked plain _skanky,_ they weren't doing us cheerleaders any favours. We can't have people thinking we're all like that. Anyway, one girl, Julie, just started having a go at me, in front of _everyone_. She said I was just a small town girl who didn't know anything and that I should just keep my mouth shut and learn my place blah blah blah." Jackie stopped talking for a second and looked up at Hyde. "Steven? Are you even listening to me?"

Hyde rubbed a hand over his beard and closed his eyes. "God help me I am," he sighed.

Jackie smiled, clearly happy to be getting it all off her chest. "So then I went up to Julie and told her that she looked like a whore and that I was going to ring her mom and tell her what a whore her daughter was..."

Hyde sat up. "Woah woah woah," he interrupted. "Jackie, you gettin' angry at those chicks is just what they want. If you really wanna get under their skin you have to be Zen."

Jackie looked puzzled. "Zen? Okay you can't just make up words Steven."

"No man, Zen, at peace, aloof, _Zen_..."

"Oh, okay then...Steven, will you teach me how to be Zen?" Jackie asked with wide eyes.

"You can't just teach someone to be Zen Jackie, you can only learn to be Zen," he explained. "And I think you needa learn because you can't go running your big cheerleader mouth n getting all fired up. Don't let those girls know that they got to you man. A big part of Zen is ambiguity."

"Ambi whata?" Jackie asked confused.

"Ambiguity," Hyde smiled. "Say it with me...am-bi-guity." He watched Jackie's mouth as she said the word with him. Her cute little lips and her cute little smile were just screaming to be kissed. But he wouldn't kiss her, because he didn't like her, well not like that anyway.

The next hour was spent teaching Jackie how to say 'whatever' and 'that's cool' without her sounding like an idiot and Hyde had to admit, his young grasshopper was doing well. She would have those cheerleaders begging to be her friend in no time. So long as she went to the try outs of course.

"Jackie Burkhart," a nurse called out in the waiting room. Jackie raised her hand and when the nurse saw Jackie's ankle she walked over.

"Can I get you a wheelchair dear?" she asked concerned.

"That's cool," Jackie answered in her best Zen voice. Hyde grinned.

"So...do you want a wheelchair or not?" the nurse said confused as hell.

"Whatever," Jackie shrugged before turning to Hyde with the biggest, cutest grin he'd ever seen. He winked back at her and watched her stand up.

God she was growing on him, and it scared him to death.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sunday, October 26th 1980**_

 _ **6pm**_

 _ **Hyde's Apartment**_

"Are you sure we should be doing this Steven?" Jackie whispered into Hyde's ear as she tightened her grip around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist.

She felt Hyde's hands on her thighs and the butterflies she had felt earlier when he had put his arm around her came fluttering back.

"Yes Jackie, I think it's just what you need."

"But, it's me and you, it just seems strange don't you think?"

"I like strange," grinned Hyde.

"Imagine if everyone found out though, what would they think?" Jackie asked nervously, secretly loving the feeling of Hyde in between her legs.

"Who cares? Now open the door Jackie, I can't reach it," he ordered bending down a little so that Jackie, who was on his back, could open his apartment door.

She did as she was told and he continued on into the dark living room. Once they were next to the couch Hyde backed up and Jackie climbed off him.

Falling onto the couch she laughed. "I've been here before," she said patting the beige fabric that for one night had been her bed.

"Yes you have and I'm surprised you remember."

"Well I wasn't drunk in the morning..." Jackie started.

"Really?" Hyde raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Okay," Jackie said shyly, "I wasn't _that_ drunk in the morning. I still remember waking up on this old thing." She pulled her ankle up onto the couch while Hyde put a pillow underneath it.

"You don't need to fuss," she told him, his fussing being added to her secret list of things she liked him doing.

"I'm not," he shot back defensively, quickly moving to the television and flicking it on. "I just wanna make sure you're ready to come back to work on Friday."

Jackie watched him as he stood with his thumbs hooked into his pockets watching the television like he didn't give a crap. Oh he gave a crap alright, even if he would try and deny it. He was the one who had insisted she stay at his place for a couple of days until the sprain in her ankle was better. He was the one who had insisted they go to her dorm and collect some essentials for her stay. He was the one who had insisted he piggyback her up the stairs to his apartment.

He gave a crap alright.

"I'll be fine for Friday boss, don't you worry," she winked at him.

Hyde looked at her for a second before taking a step toward the back door. "Um, yeah well I'm gonna go get your bags from the car and check how Kerin's getting on okay? I won't be long. You need anything?"

"Could you just pass me our food please? I dropped it on the kitchen counter when we walked in," Jackie asked, still astounded at Hyde's generosity and kindness.

Hyde walked into the kitchen, grabbed the bag of burgers and fries, and threw them onto the couch next to Jackie. "There ya go," he mumbled before heading out the door.

Okay, so maybe he still had some work to do in the manners and service department, but he had still come a hell of a long way.

Jackie settled into the couch and unwrapped her burger, ecstatic that she wasn't in her dorm. When they'd gone to pick up her clothes and study books Sarah and her friends had been in her room, tossing around her stuffed animals. Yesterday she would've flown off the handle at the witches, but today she'd merely shrugged and said 'whatever' when they had sarcastically apologised. Hyde, who had witnessed the exchange from the doorway, had been proud of Jackie, telling her later that sometimes saying less is indeed more. And he'd been right. The looks on the witches faces had been priceless.

Zen. Yeah Jackie liked this Zen business.

She also quite liked Hyde.

...

Dropping Jackie's bags in the back room Hyde walked out into the bar.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked Kerin who was leaning over the counter watching the TV.

"Yeah boss, usual Sunday night, nothing happening," Kerin shrugged.

Hyde looked around at the usual Sunday at Masterson's scene. A few of the regulars huddled around a table gasbagging, and a couple of unfamiliar faces who probably only stopped in on their way out to dinner. Same old same old.

"Alright then, I'll be upstairs. See you for lock up at ten," Hyde said before picking up the bags and starting out to the hallway that led up to his apartment.

"Boss, hold up." Kerin rushed out after him, looking down when he saw the bags.

"What?"

Kerin nodded toward the bags in Hyde's hand. "You going on holiday?"

"No," Hyde replied as he wracked his brain for an explanation as to why he was holding two bright pink overnight bags.

"What's with the bags then?" Kerin smirked.

Hyde didn't want to explain Jackie staying to Kerin, and he felt that he shouldn't have to. It was none of the pretty boy's business and he didn't want him jumping to any conclusions. But he could hardly hide her up there for a few days while Kerin was down here.

"Look, ah, Jackie's ankles pretty stuffed so she's gonna stay here for a few days, just until she can get around on her own y'know?"

Kerin eyed his boss suspiciously, and it pissed Hyde off. "Really? You have Jackie up there? Wow, Amanda one night, Jackie the next...quite the Casanova aren't ya boss?"

Knowing Kerin was just being a jealous prick Hyde chose to ignore him. He muttered a 'whatever' before turning his back on his employee and making his way up the stairs.

Once inside his apartment Hyde went to his bedroom and put Jackie's bags down. His room was a mess, and as he didn't expect Jackie to sleep on his couch he started picking the magazines and crap up from off of his floor.

"What are you doing?" Jackie asked as she hobbled into his room and sat on his old dresser.

Hyde tossed a pair of jeans onto his newly established washing pile. "Thought I better tidy this shit up for the princess," he smirked.

He saw Jackie's eyes scan the room, probably wondering how he survived each night sleeping amongst all the crap.

"Steven I'm not taking your room from you, I'm fine on the couch."

"Don't be dumb Jackie, you're not sleeping on that thing..."

"I have before," she interrupted.

"Yeah well that was different. You can have the bed, I'll take the couch okay? Won't take me long to tidy up in here. There's no rainbows and ponies though, so I hope you'll be alright," he teased as he pulled more dirty washing out from under his bed.

"Oh don't worry, I brought my own," Jackie winked. "But seriously Steven, I don't want to sleep in here, I want to sleep on the couch, so you can stop with the tidying."

Hyde stood up and looked at Jackie, and the direction of her gaze. She was staring at his messed up bed. Probably thinking about Amanda and the screwing she no doubt thought he'd done last night.

"The sheets are clean," he said truthfully.

Jackie raised both eyebrows.

"They are!"

"Whatever."

"Jackie, I'm telling you, these sheets are clean. But, seeing as you don't believe me I'll just change 'em," Hyde argued as he started pulling the white sheets off his bed.

"Steven, I think you forget that I was here last night and saw Amanda."

Hyde couldn't be sure, but he thought he detected some jealousy in Jackie's voice. Nah, it couldn't be. A princess like her wouldn't be fussed about who he screwed. Unless it was in her daddy's Lincoln, he'd sure copped crap for that one night in there with Pam Macy.

Pulling the pillowcases off the pillows Hyde watched as Jackie snooped around his dresser. "Amanda didn't stay last night."

Jackie suddenly stopped snooping and looked over at him. He saw her eyes light up for a second accompanied by a faint curving of her lips. Relieved? Did Jackie look relieved?

"Really? How come? I thought she was your girl or something?" she asked.

"She's not 'my girl'. I don't have 'a girl'. I just have 'girls'," Hyde said gruffly as he walked out to the hallway and rummaged through the linen cupboard for some clean sheets. He wanted to ignore the way Jackie's apparent jealousy made him feel because he didn't like her.

He couldn't like her.

"You have girls," Jackie called out, "sounds charming."

"Whatever."

Hyde started making the bed up with the fresh sheets while Jackie sat watching him. He wondered whether it'd been such a good idea bringing her back here coz now she was back to being a pain in his ass.

"So how come Amanda didn't stay anyway?" Jackie asked as she sniffed his bottle of aftershave. He rolled his eyes at the sight - why the hell did chicks always do that?

"Why do you care Jackie?"

"I don't," Jackie said popping the lid back on the green bottle.

"Good."

"Good."

Hyde threw the pillows back on the bed and put his hands on his hips. "There you doll," he announced, "will ya sleep in there now?"

Jackie pushed herself off of the dresser and hobbled to the door. "Yeah I guess, but I hope you're getting rid of that horrible poster on your wall. I can't sleep with that thing staring at me," she ordered, pointing to a poster of Sid Vicious with his tongue hanging out.

Hyde shook his head as she walked out of the room, estimating that it would take all of 2 minutes to grab her and her bags and toss them out into the parking lot. But as tempting as that was he instead grabbed a stool and climbed onto it so that he could pull the thumbtacks out of his precious Sid poster.

...

 _ **Monday, October 27th 1980**_

 _ **8.20am**_

 _ **Hyde's Apartment**_

The kitchen smelled like coffee and cigarettes, a scent that took Jackie right back to her childhood days and sitting with her father at breakfast. Only back then she didn't mind the smell of her father's filthy habit. Oh how times had changed. She wanted to ask Hyde to open a window but his demeanour this morning was as frosty as the grass outside, so she ignored the smell and carried on eating the breakfast he'd dished up for her.

"Why are you always reading the paper?" she asked as she scooped more muesli up onto her spoon.

Hyde glanced at her before looking back down at the paper. "Because I like to know what's going on in the world."

Jackie chewed her mouthful and swallowed. "Yeah I get that," she said, "what I'm saying is, why don't you just watch the news on TV like a normal person?"

She noticed Hyde furrow his brow as he dropped the paper onto the kitchen table and she automatically wished she hadn't started this conversation. He was about to give her an earful, she just knew it.

"Jackie," he started before she could attempt to escape the room, "don't you know the government controls all the major media outlets? Most of our news sources are telling us exactly what the government wants us to hear. Every piece of news we have is biased towards one of the major political parties therefore we have to make sure we read and see everything they're telling us so that we can make up our own minds. We can't just rely on one source man." He picked his paper back up before adding, "I'm surprised you don't know this shit, aren't you studying journalism at college?"

Jackie nervously tapped her spoon in her empty bowl earning an annoyed glare from Hyde. "Yeah I am."

Hyde had always been the smart one in their group, well him and Donna. Jackie knew that most of his conspiracy theory mumbo jumbo had an element of truth to it, she wasn't a complete airhead, but she had never known how to engage him in a serious conversation about it all. And sadly, even after six weeks at college, she still didn't.

"Speaking of journalism," Hyde began, "why did you go to college anyway? Last I heard you'd been offered some fancy job reporting in Chicago. Why didn't you just take that and skip the hard work?"

Jackie sat for a moment wondering how the hell she could answer his question without sounding like a complete fool. She could feel Hyde's curious eyes on her, awaiting her response. Dammit why had she started this conversation?

She should've just left him reading his paper.

"Ah, I didn't take the job because, well, because of Jake," she answered truthfully. "I foolishly thought he loved me so I only went to Chicago for a weekend before going back to Point Place to be with him."

She watched Hyde dissolve into laughter at her expense. That wicked boy from Point Place was still inside the sweet man she'd gotten to know in Milwaukee.

"And how did that work out for ya?" he asked sarcastically. "How are things now with you and the love of your life Jake?"

"Whatever," she said softly.

Suppressing the urge to cry Jackie picked up her bowl and hobbled over to the sink. Hyde stopped laughing.

"Hey Jackie, c'mon, I was just teasing," he said.

"Yeah well it hurts," she muttered, unsure if he could even hear her. "Of course I feel stupid about throwing an opportunity like that away for an asshole. But believe me, I'd never do something so stupid again."

As she wiped away a few tears in her eyes she felt Hyde walk up behind her. He put his arms around her shoulders and for some reason she turned into him. He was an asshole, that she knew, but his touch was still comforting and she couldn't help being drawn to him.

"Sorry man," he said as she put her arms around his waist. "But hey, you live n learn huh? We all make dumb choices at different points in our lives...'

"...but I seem to make more than everyone else, and mine always involve assholes," Jackie cut in.

Hyde shrugged, arms still around her shoulders, his warm breath in her hair. "Just don't do it again okay? No guy is worth it and you can do way better than the likes of Kelso, Jake n Fez. You'll meet someone great."

Jackie pulled away a little and looked up at him. "Believe me, I know that no guy is worth it. I'm not living my life in the hopes of finding a guy to sweep me off my feet anymore. Been there, done that, and it doesn't end pretty."

The corners of Hyde's mouth turned up slightly and he nodded his head. "Smart girl," he said, "you're coming along nicely."

He walked back over to the table and lit a cigarette before sitting back down. Jackie sighed.

"You know, with all the news you read I would've thought you'd know by now that second hand smoke kills," Jackie informed him as he raised his eyebrows. "Right now you are probably inadvertently killing me."

Hyde stood up and casually strolled over to her, inhaling some smoke as he did. Once he was standing right in front her he exhaled, and the stinky toxic fumes blew all over her face.

"Maybe that's the plan," he smirked.

Jackie furiously snatched the cigarette out of his hand and threw it in the sink, watching as the red light extinguished in the small puddle of water by the plug hole.

"Hey!" Hyde cried staring at his now ruined smoke. "What did ya do that for, what a waste!"

"Oh, I'm just trying to save your life, and mine," Jackie smiled innocently as she hobbled to the bathroom to wash her now stinky hair.

...

 _ **Later on that day...**_

Jackie was sprawled out on Hyde's bed trying to study but her mind was on other things, like what Hyde was doing. He'd left a couple of hours ago to go to the suppliers and she hoped he'd return soon. Not because she missed him, he'd laughed at her misfortune _and_ blown smoke all over her after all, she was just bored and needed someone to talk to.

The sound of the apartment door opening broke Jackie's thoughts and she eagerly sat up on the bed. "You took your time," she called out, "I'm so bored!"

To her disappointment Kerin poked his head around the door. "Sorry, didn't know you were waiting for me," he joked before entering the room. "how's the ankle?"

Jackie tried to wiggle her ankle about, hoping for a bit more movement. "It's slowly getting better I guess, doesn't hurt as much," she told him.

Kerin plopped himself down next to her on the bed, his presence making her feel uncomfortable. "That's good," he said with a smile.

Jackie had decided a few weeks ago that Kerin was handsome. She had actually decided that he was movie star handsome. And clever. He was working at the bar as well as training to be an engineer. Engineers made a heap of money, or so Jackie had been told. Yeah Kerin pretty much ticked all the boxes, with his chiselled jawline, short sandy brown hair, deep brown eyes, and potential to be wealthy; but he just didn't do it for Jackie like he should've.

"Um, Hyde's not here at the moment, I think he's at the suppliers or something," she said as she picked up a textbook and pretended to read it.

"Yeah I noticed his car wasn't down in the lot. I just wanted to talk to him about some friends of mine who need a job. I reckon they'll be good and with you out we need some workers," he said as he stretched his legs out.

"I'm only out for two shifts Kerin, I'll be back on Friday."

Kerin smiled over at her. He had a nice smile, it was like Michael Landon's from the Little House on the Prairie, one side of his mouth seemed to rise a little further than the other.

"Don't panic Jackie, I'm not trying to replace you, I just thought that maybe if there were more staff maybe you and I could make it to that movie."

He fiddled with his sweatshirt a little.

 _Probably nervous about asking out such a beautiful woman,_ Jackie thought.

"Well maybe we could," she said, deciding that perhaps an attraction to Kerin could grow if she tried to let it. Sure she wasn't looking for a husband anymore but she still wouldn't mind being wined and dined and the offers weren't exactly rolling in.

"So that's a yes then?"

"Sure, why not?" Jackie smiled.

"Awesome!" Kerin said jumping up from the bed. "Well I have a class soon but I'll talk to Hyde later about these friends and get back to you yeah?"

"Sounds good," Jackie nodded.

Once Kerin had left Jackie lay back down on the bed and wondered why Hyde's name had left her feeling uneasy about her date with Kerin. Nothing was going on with the scruffy boy from her past. They were just friends. Even though she was starting to think of him as something more.

She tossed her unread textbook onto the floor and cuddled into the pillow wishing she knew exactly what Hyde thought of her, although she feared that she already knew; to Hyde she was nothing more than a spoiled, silly, schoolgirl, who cared more about make-up and boys than newspapers.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Tuesday, October 27th 1980**_

 _ **7pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

The bar was unusually quiet for this time of night but of course it suited Hyde just fine. He'd spent the last two hours training up a couple of Kerin's friends and much to his delight they'd caught on quick. Well the guy was a bit slow but the chick seemed to know how to work her way around a bar. He hoped these two would work out; he desperately needed a night off.

A small figure in the back room doorway caught his eye and he smiled. Jackie. She seemed to be having that affect on him more and more these days. Just the sight of her would make him feel less pissed off. She smiled back at him - hell, that girl was always smiling - and then gave him a little wave as she walked toward him.

"What are you doing down here, you should be resting your ankle," he said as he pulled a barstool around the bar for her to sit down.

"I'm bored up there," she said, leaning a hand on his shoulder while he helped her onto the stool. "Thought I'd come and check out how the new guys are doing. I hope they're not better than me," she added, sounding concerned.

The new staff were better at the job than Jackie but Hyde wasn't about to tell her that. He'd learned over the years that there was a time for honesty and a time for a few white lies - this was one of those times.

"They're good, picking it all up quick."

"Are they better than me?" she asked, looking up at him wide eyed.

He grinned and shook his head. "Of course not, you're the best barperson I've got."

Jackie rolled her eyes, clearly seeing right through him. "Whatever," she said gently swatting his chest. "So, where are they?"

Hyde pointed to a blonde girl over by the door clearing a table. "That's Gemma, and over there by the pool tables is Matt."

Jackie's stare was fixed on the girl by the door. "She's a girl," she stated.

"Yeah I thought so," Hyde chuckled.

"She's wearing a skirt." Jackie sounded angry and Hyde couldn't understand why.

"So?" he shrugged.

Jackie stared at him, no longer smiling. Maybe he'd been a little generous before when he'd thought she was always smiling.

"So?" she mocked. "You told me that short skirts were banned in this bar. You told me I had to wear full length jeans or I'd be fired, _and banned,_ I should add. But yet you let her, _Gemma,_ wear a teeny tiny skirt. What's that about Hyde?"

Bugger it. Hyde had forgotten about the rule he had made up to stop Jackie showing off her killer legs to everybody. He was screwed now no matter which way he decided to go. But again he decided a lie was better than the truth.

"She doesn't have any jeans to wear man, that's why she needed a job. You see Jackie, not all people are as fortunate as you..."

"Oh shut up Hyde," Jackie cut in as she jumped off the stool. "You're such an asshole. You just want to oogle the tramp. One rule for us mere mortals and another rule for your sluts. You're such a perv," she sniped before limping out of the bar.

He called out after her hoping to calm her down, but she ignored him, only leaving a behind a heady scent of vanilla.

Hyde knew that she'd be asleep by the time he locked up for the night and he couldn't leave things with her like this. He'd come to despise fighting with the little grasshopper more than he'd once thought he despised the girl herself.

Leaving Matt in charge for ten minutes he whipped upstairs to his apartment.

"Jackie?" he called out.

No response. Typical.

"C'mon Jackie, don't be a sook."

"Shut up Hyde you dick! I'm not a sook," Jackie yelled from his bedroom.

He walked in and sat next to her on the bed. She was lying face down on his pillow, being all dramatic.

"Seriously Jackie? Are we seriously arguing over you wearing a fuckin' skirt to work?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"It's the principle of the matter Steven. You're all about fairness and equality yet you have one rule for some and another rule for the sluts you wanna sleep with."

Hyde didn't want to tell her that _she_ was the one he wanted to sleep with, not Gemma, therefore he couldn't work out how to get out of this mess without either sounding like an asshole or admitting he was attracted to her. Damn girls and their skirts.

Jackie lifted her face out of the pillow. "Did you come up here just to make me mad? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Hyde shrugged and looked at the floor.

"So can I wear skirts to work?"

He said nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Jackie exclaimed proudly as if she'd won some sort of fashion war that he wasn't even fighting.

 _Fuck it._

"No Jackie you can't wear skirts to work."

"What?!" she screamed, sitting herself up. "But it's not fair! If I can't wear skirts why should s _he_ be able to wear them?"

"You just can't okay?"

"No that's not okay! Give me a reason, a proper reason that doesn't involve you wanting to screw Gemma," Jackie yelled.

This was it. This was what Hyde had been fearing. This was the bit where Jackie realised he was attracted to her and she laughed in his face.

Oh well, at least he could just fire her once she'd finished laughing.

"Look Jackie, I don't want you wearing skirts because I don't want guys checking out your legs," he grumbled, eyes still locked on the floor.

"Huh? Why not?" She sounded puzzled. God she was dumb.

"Because," he shrugged, "you have nice legs n guys will check them out n I just don't want them to okay?"

"Why do you care if other guys check out my legs?" Jackie asked as she moved closer to him on the bed. She was trying to make a fool out of him, he just knew it. He'd seen the way she had mocked Kelso years ago, and she was probably just getting dirt on him to burn him with.

At least he could fire her once she'd collected it.

"Well Steven, is there a reason you don't want guys to look at me?" She was right next to him now and he couldn't handle it.

"Fuck this," Hyde said quickly standing up. He took a step before Jackie grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. He turned around ready to tell her to fuck off but she opened her mouth first.

"I think you're jealous," she whispered, crawling on her knees to meet him at the edge of the bed.

Her eyes were all squinty and seductive, and her lips were all pouty just screaming to be kissed. Even when trying to burn him she still looked freakin' hot.

And Hyde hated her for it.

"Whatever," he mumbled attempting to walk away again. This time he was stopped by her arms wrapping around his waist. "Jackie what are you doing? Get your arms off me," he said as he turned around and tried to push her away.

"I don't mind if you're jealous Steven," Jackie said before gently biting her lip, "in fact, I kinda like it."

She moved her hands up to his chest, her touch sending a rush of arousal through his body, a rush he couldn't ignore. He stared into her near-pleading eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck bringing their faces mere centimetres apart from each other and all thoughts of burns left his mind. Hyde had fantasized about this moment more than once over the past couple of weeks but now that it was actually happening he didn't know what to do. Jackie had been Kelso's girl. Even when they were broken up she had remained Kelso's girl. How could she ever become Hyde's girl?

A look of worry fell over Jackie's face. "Say something," she quietly pleaded.

Hyde reached up and brushed Jackie's long hair over her shoulder. He placed his hand on her smooth neck and gently caressed her jawline with his thumb, all the while contemplating whether or not to take things further.

But that decision wasn't going to be his to make.

It was just a peck. Nothing more. But when Jackie put her lips on his Hyde was sure he went weak at the knees.

 _Stupid knees._

He pulled away slightly. "Your beautiful," he whispered without thinking. Where the fuck was Zen when ya need it?

Jackie reached up and slowly pulled his shades off of his face, leaving him feeling naked. He didn't want her to see his eyes fearing they would betray him and tell her everything she wanted to know, but it was too late, their eyes were locked on each other. He was fucked.

Not caring about her burning him, and not caring about Kelso, Hyde grabbed a handful of Jackie's hair and pushed her face closer his. He traced his tongue across her bottom lip before she opened her mouth and captured his.

The kiss was slow and intense. He had imagined her kisses as being hurried and flighty, much like the way she talked, but instead they were soft, and warm, and full of longing. She ran her hands down his face as their tongues crashed together and at that moment he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. He felt her tug at the hem of his t-shirt, guiding him down onto the bed, so he slid an arm around her waist and lay her down before climbing on top of her; neither of them breaking the kiss.

If this was a burn it was an epic one. Jackie's hands were all over him and her legs were wrapped tightly around him. If Hyde's hands weren't tangled up in Jackie's hair or busy feeling her perky breasts he would've pinched himself just to check that this was really happening.

He was lying on top of Jackie Burkhart kissing the crap out of her while she was grabbing his ass.

This shit was crazy.

As much as he didn't want to move his mouth away from her strawberry scented lips he had to take this opportunity to taste her neck - who knew when he'd get another chance? He nibbled and sucked on the delicate, smooth skin, while Jackie ran her hands through his hair. Her breathing was shallow and quick - she wanted him - and that thought made him suck harder.

"Oh my god Steven," she moaned into his ear while he ran his tongue across her neck before crashing his lips back onto hers.

The kiss was deep and the soft moans Jackie elicited when he ran his fingers down her side excited him beyond belief.

Until Hyde remembered he had left two people to run his bar on their own on their first night.

He suddenly stopped kissing her and propped himself up. "Fuck!" he cursed.

"What?" Jackie mumbled as she moved her tongue to his neck and gently licked little circles.

Hyde tried to pull away but she tightened her legs around his waist trapping him on top of her.

"Jackie I gotta go, I've left those kids down there by themselves," he whispered, fighting the urge to just rip her clothes off.

"Ten more minutes," she purred into his neck.

 _Ten more minutes_ he thought. If he was gonna do Jackie Burkhart he wanted longer than ten freakin' minutes.

"Sorry man," he said propping himself right up and shifting off of her. "I've gotta get back down there."

Jackie sat up and looked like he felt; frustrated as hell. He smiled knowing their little make out session had clearly had an affect on her. "Fine then," she sighed as she straightened up her top before launching herself onto his lap and kissing him again.

He kissed her back for a few moments before pulling away. "Jackie I gotta go," he said trying to ignore her adorable pout.

He tried to stand up but she was straddling him and her arms were locked around his neck.

"Guess I'm coming then," she said in between the moist pecks she was planting all over his face and neck.

"Really Jackie?"

She simply nodded so he sighed and stood up not even bothering to hold her. She remained latched onto his body and he admired the obvious strength in her arms and legs that kept her in place. Although she didn't need his assistance Hyde decided to support her tight ass anyway as he walked to the back door.

"Okay, this is where you get off," he said once they'd reached the door.

Jackie shook her head and carried on sucking at his neck.

He suddenly pushed her hard up against the wall, the surprise motion forcing her to lift her head. He looked into her dreamy eyes and then urgently crashed his lips onto hers. When she finally went weak in the knees and dropped her legs to the ground he quickly pulled away.

"Later Jackie," he winked before dropping a quick peck on to her swollen lips and walking out the door, wondering what the fuck he'd just gotten himself into.

...

 _ **Wednesday, October 29th 1980**_

 _ **8.40am**_

 _ **Hyde's Apartment**_

Jackie stood in the hallway biting her nails, the smell of cooked bacon tempting her to walk into the kitchen, the thought of facing Hyde tempting her to flee out the back door. She'd heard him come home last night and she had waited for him to join her in his bed to continue their make out session. But he hadn't. As usual he had slept on the couch. Lucky him getting some sleep, Jackie hadn't. Every time she had closed her eyes she'd imagined his rough hands all over her body and his full mouth all over her neck.

God he was such a man.

Like no one she'd ever been with before.

His kisses had sent her senses into overdrive and even now just the thought of them aroused her to no end. But he clearly hadn't felt the same or else he would've come back to her and kissed her again.

"Morning Jackie, you can come into the kitchen y'know" Hyde called out breaking her train of thought.

She flicked her damp hair over her shoulder and finally walked in.

 _Oh my god he's even hotter than yesterday,_ she thought as she checked out his denim clad butt.

"Morning, how was the rest of your night?" she casually asked.

"It was fine. I think those two will work out," Hyde answered before sipping his coffee. He was standing by the sink and wouldn't look at her.

"That's great," Jackie smiled as she pulled a cup out of the cupboard to make herself a coffee.

"Here," Hyde said snatching the cup out of her hand, "I'll do it, go sit down."

"I'm fine Steven, I can make myself a hot drink."

Hyde raised an eyebrow at her, the first time he'd looked at her directly since she'd walked in. "If your ankle is fine shouldn't you be going to class?"

Class. College. Campus. God, the three C's that made Jackie feel sick to her stomach. She didn't want to go back there, she liked being here with Hyde, even when he was being a weirdo.

"Well, I don't know if I'm up to walking around campus just yet.".

"You have to go back sometime man, can't hide forever," Hyde said putting her coffee down in front of her before walking back over to the sink.

"I'm not hiding," insisted Jackie, hating that Hyde could see right through her. "My ankle still hurts and besides, I like being here with you."

Hyde ignored her comment and picked up his keys, heading for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Jackie asked dismayed at the thought of him leaving already.

"Places to go, people to see. I'll catch you later."

No way.

Hyde was not going to do this to her today. He couldn't run away from what happened last night.

She wouldn't allow it.

"Ah, I don't think so," she declared from the table. "I think you need to come sit down and have a chat."

She tapped her hand on the table suggesting he do as she tell him.

Hyde, in turn, tapped his chin with his finger as if contemplating what to do. "Yeah, don't think so Jackie."

He walked out the door, the slam it made when it shut sending shockwaves through Jackie.

She jumped off her chair and raced to the door. By the time she had opened it he was halfway down the stairs.

"Steven come back here!" she called out to his retreating form.

He ignored her so it was time to pull out the damsel in distress routine; a routine she thought she'd quit performing a long time ago.

"Oowwwww!" she cried as she dramatically tumbled into a messy heap on the floor.

Hyde swung around and darted up the stairs taking 3 steps at a time until he was next to her. "What the hell happened?" he said as he picked her up from off of the ground.

"My ankle gave out," Jackie whimpered, pinching herself discreetly on the arm so that tears would form.

"What were you doing? Your ankles fucked, why would you keep runnin' round on it?" Hyde scolded as he carried her into the living room and put her on the couch. When he let her go and tried to stand up Jackie wouldn't loosen the grip she had around his neck.

"This again?" he asked, his jaw tense and his voice deeper than usual.

"I want you to talk to me."

"Jackie, we don't have anything to talk about, everything's cool. I'm only going out for a few hours."

"We do need to talk and you know what we need to talk about," Jackie said, still clinging to Hyde. "And I really don't think there is anyone you desperately need to see at 8.30 in the morning. God, please don't tell me you need to see your dealer at this time? That adds a whole other hour to our talk."

Hyde sighed and fell back on the couch next to her. His actions were positive but Jackie still wouldn't release him for fear he'd bolt again. "Okay Jackie, I'm here, so talk."

Jackie thought for a moment. What the hell was she supposed to say? Even she didn't know what she wanted or expected from last night.

"Um, so last night was nice," she confessed shyly.

"Yeah it was cool," Hyde shrugged, still trying to pry her arms from around his neck.

"So I guess I just wondered where it left us? Like, are we together now, or will..."

Hyde quickly cut her off. "Woah, we aren't a couple Jackie, get that outta your head right now!"

His words cut like a knife. Was she that horrible that any suggestion of a relationship was so inconceivable?

Had last night meant _nothing_ to him?

"Oh, thanks..." she murmured, pulling her hands away from Hyde's neck and placing them on her lap.

"What, did you think that me and you could actually work?" Hyde asked as he sat up and stared at her. She turned her head slightly, not wanting him to see the dejection so clearly inscribed across her face.

"Well I thought we could've tried."

She could see Hyde shaking his head in bewilderment. "Jackie me and you are chalk and cheese man, we have nothing in common."

"Tell me then Steven, tell me all the things that are so different about us," Jackie challenged, suddenly turning to face him.

Hyde put his head back on the couch and sighed. "Really?" he asked rubbing his brow.

"Really. I want you to prove to me that we could never work. Go..." Jackie demanded.

"Okay, the obvious one, music. You like ABBA."

She shrugged. "So what? How would a differing taste in music affect our relationship?"

"It would, well, I dunno. Okay, next one, our backgrounds. You grew up all rich n fancy, I grew up all white trashy..."

"So?"

"So we're different man, can't you see it?" Hyde seemed pissed off, but that was nothing new so Jackie kept on at him.

"Give me another reason," she ordered.

Hyde sat up for this one and stared straight at her. "Here's a goodie, you dated my best friend for a gazillion years. Us being together would be breaking bro code," he smirked.

Jackie raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Another one please."

"You like unicorns."

"Anything else?"

"You like pink things."

"Another one?"

"You like love n crap like that."

"C'mon Hyde, something good this time, _please."_

"You were a cheerleader."

"Is that it or are you done?"

She could see the lines on Hyde's head crease as he struggled to come up with another reason for them not to be together and despite the fact he was being a complete dillhole she still found herself wanting to kiss him. He looked cute when he was angry...all manly with his chest puffed out...the chest she'd been running her hands across last night...

But all of that would have to wait.

"I've got it!" Hyde declared with a grin, "I know the main reason that we'd never work."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I'm all ears."

"The reason you and I should never be together is because _you_ will always be looking for something better, and I am quite content with the same old same old," Hyde said proudly sitting back on the couch and folding his arms.

"Is that it? That's the big reason?" Jackie asked unimpressed.

"Well that n the other stuff I said before."

"Whatever, you can go now," Jackie said standing up.

Hyde looked at her confused. "What? That's it? That was the talk?"

Jackie smirked down at him. "That was it Steven, painless huh?"

"Ah, yeah, yeah it was."

Jackie tapped her foot, waiting for him to go to wherever the hell he was going to.

He stood up and adjusted his ridiculous glasses. She was really starting to hate those emotion shields.

"Oh well, I guess I'll be off then," he said nervously approaching the door.

"Bye Steven, have a great day!" Jackie said with a wink as she strolled up the hallway to Hyde's room.

 _Fool!_ she thought when she heard the back door close. As if 'that was it'. She was Jackie Burkhart and persistence was her middle name (well she wished it was anyway).


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Okay here it is finally! Sorry for the delay...I re-read this chapter a few days ago and HATED it so I've been trying to fix it up. I'm still not keen on it but I think I've just got to let it go and resign myself to the fact that it is the chapter that will annoy me forever lol.**_

 _ **Thank you to those of you who have reviewed, as always it's super cool to read them, even the haters - you give me something to laugh at (but you should really be reading a story because you like it not just because you like that it's updated regularly - or not).**_

* * *

 _ **Thursday, October 30th 1980**_

 _ **12.05am**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

Slumming it.

That's all she was doing.

That's all girls her type were ever doing when it came to someone like him. They just wanted a bit of rough, something to piss their parents off with, and when they'd had their fun they'd move on to someone more respectable; someone they could actually be seen in public with.

Yeah, Hyde knew Jackie's type alright.

And she'd proved she was that type earlier when she hadn't bothered putting up a fight. She'd let him say his piece and leave, no girly crap rebuttal, no begging, just a smile and a goodbye.

Not that he cared. He was just fine on his own. He always had been.

Hyde flicked the cassette tape over and turned off the main lights. As he poured himself a whisky the sweet sound of Joe Perry's guitar playing swiftly pushed through the speakers and filled the empty bar. This was what he needed to forget her; alcohol and Aerosmith, and lots of it. The double A's would make him forget the beautiful woman sitting up in his apartment and hopefully remind him of the whiney cheerleader who used to sit in Forman' basement, the latter being a chick Hyde knew he could easily resist.

But, dammit, Jackie wasn't that irritating little princess anymore, no matter how hard Hyde tried to pretend she was. Truth be told, Jackie Burkhart-the college student, really didn't annoy him all that much. Yeah she could certainly learn to flap her mouth a lot less but she wasn't all that bad. Hell, he'd even started _listening_ to some of the crap that came out of her mouth and a lot of it was actually pretty cute.

Much like the girl herself.

The girl. The lonely girl. The lonely girl who was slumming it.

Why did he let himself get carried away with her the other night?

They needed to get back to where they were before. They were co-workers, friends at a stretch, and he could check her out every now and again from afar. No one got hurt that way. It was simple.

And Hyde liked simple.

"Thought I'd find you down here drowning your sorrows," Jackie said, breaking his train of thought.

For a moment he couldn't quite make her out, the bright light streaming in from the back room behind her obstructing his view. But once he saw her, and what she was wearing, his eyes nearly rolled all the way back into his head and stayed there.

"I'm not 'drowning' anything, I'm having a drink after a hard day's work, and what the fuck are you wearing?"

Jackie looked down at her Masterson's Bar t-shirt and short, tight black skirt. "This?" she asked Hyde. "Well now I know that the Bar Jeans Act of 1954 is full of shit I thought I'd let you get used to what I'll be wearing to work from now on. Hope you like."

She smiled a devilish grin as she sauntered over to him and Hyde found it hard to not grin back at her. Damn she was hot.

He looked away and tried to downplay the internal effect she was having on him. "Don't play games Jackie, although it may've suited the old you I thought you'd grown up a bit since then," he said before swigging his whisky.

"I'm not playing games, I'm just showing you that you have no right to tell me what I can and can't wear. Especially when you won't even take a chance on us."

She picked up his glass and had a sip, the liquid obviously burning her throat. Hyde wanted to laugh when she screwed her face up but figured now wasn't the time.

"Look Jackie, for one - the bar is closed so I don't know why you're in your work uniform. And two - I've explained why 'I won't take a chance on us', and my reasons were valid so I think we should just drop it."

"Actually Steven, your reasons are why I'm here. I'm going back to campus in the morning - oh and I need you to drop me off by the way, my class is at 9am..."

Hyde chuckled to himself. It was that kinda shit that he liked about Jackie; the way she could be scolding you in one breath and asking a favour in the next.

"...but before I go I want to give you a little food for thought. A little something to think about when I'm gone and your apartment is back to being dreary."

Hyde knew he'd need the bottle for this one so reached over the bar and grabbed his JDs. "Okay Jackie," he sighed. "Hit me."

Jackie scrunched up her shoulders and got all excited. Maybe she had expected more of a fight? Maybe he should've given her one?

Dammit it was too late now.

"Okay," she smiled. "You said that we couldn't be together because we have different taste in music. I would like to argue that that reason is stupid and superficial. People who like different things can be together, it happens all the time. You have always called me superficial but I say that you should take a long, hard look at yourself Mr."

Hyde shrugged. She raised a good point.

"Next," Jackie continued, "You said my love of unicorns is a reason. Again, I call you superficial...oh and that goes for the pink one too. But anyway, unicorns, right, you like conspiracy theories, I like unicorns. I would like to put out there that have you ever considered that maybe the government has hidden all the unicorns because they know that if people got their hands on them all their wishes would come true so they'd all stop working? What would happen to the country then huh? So, as you can see, I have just combined a love of yours with a love of mine...and it worked."

Hyde sat motionless, unable to even speak after the crap that had just spewed out of Jackie's mouth. He could not even dignify what she had just said with a comment. But he did give her a point for trying.

"Continue," he said rather sceptically fearing that if her last rant was anything to go by he was in for one fucked up night.

"Okay, we're now up to Michael..."

 _This should be good,_ he thought as he sculled his whisky and poured another.

"...Steven, Michael and I have been over for 3 years. _3 whole years_. I have not kissed him, slept with him, or gone on a date with him. We were together when we were teenagers and he now has a child by another woman for god's sake. He is my past, not my future. So for all of the reasons I have just said I truly believe your 'bro code' doesn't stand in this situation."

Hyde nodded. Fair call he supposed.

Jackie flicked her head back and cleared her throat. "Now I'd like to talk about our backgrounds and your observation that they were completely different. Aside from the money that my family may have had at one point I'd like to point out that they weren't really so different. You grew up poor and lonely, your mother ditching you to sleep with truckers..."

Hyde hoped she wrapped this shit up quick, he really didn't wanna go down that particular memory lane.

"...while I grew up rich, yes, but also lonely; my father ditching me for work and my mother ditching me to sleep with cabana boys. Your mother abandoned you when you were at high school taking with her any confidence you may have once had in yourself, and my mother abandoned me when I was at high school taking with her all our money as well as my confidence and self-esteem. Steven, we had the same upbringing, there were just a few minor discrepancies."

Hyde ran his hands hard down his face, blown away by Jackie's analysis of their lives growing up. Never before had he bothered to notice the similarities they had shared preferring to focus on the obvious, _superficial_ differences.

"Sorry," he said without looking at her.

"For what?" Jackie asked.

"When your dad went to prison, I remember you coming into the basement all upset. It was just me in there n you tried to get me to hug you but I pushed you off n told you to bake a..."

"Cake and put a file in it," Jackie finished for him. "Don't worry Steven, it doesn't matter anymore."

"It was still an asshole thing to say." Hyde was hating himself right now for the way he had treated Jackie back then. She had wanted comfort - _from him_ \- and he had disregarded her. He was a dick.

"But you never knew how to comfort someone, your mother was never around to comfort you." Jackie tried to reassure him that his prick nature wasn't his fault but he wasn't having it.

"I lived with the Forman's for years, I saw how people should treat people, I could've treated you better."

"Steven we are products of our upbringings but are we gonna let our upbringings define our future? I sure as hell am not," Jackie said defiantly. "Me and you, we're survivors. That's how we got through all the shitty things that happened to us...we just survived."

When did Jackie get so smart? When the hell did she get so freakn _deep?_

"What's next?" Hyde asked desperately trying to steer the conversation away from his childhood.

"Huh?"

"On the list, what's next?"

"Oh yeah, of course. Okay, next is the love one. You criticising me for believing in love or whatever it is that you said. Now that is just stupid, plain and simple. Everybody has someone in their life that they love, your problem is that you don't believe anybody could love you." Jackie's left eyebrow was raised. Hyde had come to learn that she did that particular facial expression when she talked to someone she thought was stupid.

"Whatever" Hyde said as he lifted his glass to his mouth, secretly thinking that this chick is completely right...about everything.

He felt the small weight of Jackie's head rest against his shoulder and he closed his eyes, wishing that everything was as simple as she claimed it to be. It wasn't though and he couldn't be bothered explaining it all to her. She would deny she was slumming it. She would say her loneliness had nothing to do with her wanting to be with him.

She would have an answer for everything and Hyde couldn't be a fool and believe that she meant what she said. He'd believed once that his mother loved him...that didn't work out so well in the end.

Nah, Hyde was better off on his own.

"What do you think so far?" Jackie asked as she stroked his upper arm.

Hyde grinned and gently tapped the top of her head with his own. "I think that you should've been studying today instead of working on this crap," he teased.

She slapped his arm. "This isn't crap!"

"Jackie, just the other day you told me that no guy was worth it -that you weren't waiting for a knight in shining armour anymore. Remember?"

Jackie lifted her head and looked up at him, left eyebrow arched. "Don't flatter yourself Steven, I never said you were my knight in shining armour," she said, "I'm not asking for marriage, I'm not asking for love...all I'm asking for is a chance to see where this goes. Like a proper date or something."

And there it was...more proof that she was just a lonely chick needing some attention.

Dammit.

Hyde abruptly stood up, finding a sudden need to put some distance between him and the chick he had an annoying craving to kiss.

"Hey," he said as he walked around to the other side of the bar, "I'm sure there are tonnes of guys who you could go on a date with. I mean, if I didn't know you, and had never talked to you, I'd totally think you were hot," he joked.

Jackie picked up a coaster and threw it at him, trying to conceal her grin with a scowl. It didn't work. "Shut up Hyde you asshole!" she laughed.

Her laugh was infectious, so much so that even Hyde's shoulders bobbed up and down as he laughed along with her. But when the song finished and the bar was shrouded in silence, the cheery outburst quietened and was replaced by an awkward tension.

The seconds before the gentle guitar playing began felt like hours, and during that time Hyde couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off Jackie...even though she was wearing an outfit designed to infuriate him.

"Dance with me?" she smiled as she walked around the bar and took his hand.

Hyde pulled it away. "No Jackie, I don't dance." He heard his own voice break a little. Why was he so nervous? What was it about her?

"Yes you do! I've seen you dance with Donna before. Please dance with...please? I love this song." Her arms were wrapped around his waist. Her body was pressed up against his, swaying slowly in time with the music.

"Aerosmith? You like Aerosmith?" he asked, putting a hand lightly on the small of her back.

"I like this one," she smiled. _"Every time that I look in the mirror, all these lines on my face gettin' clearer...the past is gone..."_ she quietly sang along with Steven Tyler, her body still warming Steven Hyde's.

"Yeah, Dream On...it's a goodie," Hyde agreed.

He sipped the last of his drink before placing his glass on the bench, his hand now free to run through Jackie's hair.

 _What the hell am I doing?_ he thought as her silky locks glided through his calloused fingers, _she's lonely, she doesn't really want me._

The drumming grew louder and the vocals more rousing, but Hyde and Jackie kept their movements slow and steady. This had to be the last time he held her like this, and Hyde chose to savour it. Tomorrow she would be gone and he'd make sure he didn't buy any more hot chocolate...perhaps then she wouldn't hang around at the end of her shifts and things would go back to being simple.

He needed simple.

But right now Jackie wasn't making things simple.

Her hands were now under his top, her delicate fingers tickling his lower back. Her touch so light, and warm, sending shivers up his spine.

One night. Surely he could have one night with her?

His hands slid up to cup her face and he rested his forehead on hers. Her eyes were closed, she was lost in the song, and maybe, just maybe, lost in the feeling of being in Hyde's arms. Her lips parted slightly and while her hair had smelled fresh, like apples, he knew those lips would taste like strawberries. Oh how he loved strawberries.

Without sparing a thought for what his actions may lead to, Hyde smashed his lips against hers. Jackie gasped, a little taken aback by his sudden actions, before opening her mouth to allow him in and deepen the kiss. His hands moved gently from her face back to her hair, grabbing it roughly as their kiss gained in urgency.

Jackie pulled away, breathless. "I thought you didn't dance?" she smiled, her hands now running up and down his stomach.

"I don't," Hyde said, trying to pull her head closer to his. He wanted her lips again, and he wanted them now.

Jackie wasn't having it though, slowly backing away from him. "Why don't you close up here and I'll meet you upstairs in a bit?" she winked before seductively biting her lower lip.

Hyde's pants immediately grew tight.

Fuck slumming it. Fuck loneliness. Fuck Kelso. Fuck unicorns, ABBA, and love.

He wanted the sexy as hell former princess slash cheerleader slash annoying basement girl standing before him. It would be purely physical because he wasn't emotionally attached to her and he'd make sure he didn't get emotional about her.

He liked it simple.

And he'd keep it simple.

After tonight anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Friday, October 31st 1980**_

 _ **3.10pm**_

 _ **University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee**_

Balancing her books in one hand and her handbag in the other, Jackie hobbled as quickly as she could to the main gymnasium. She was already ten minutes late and she hated to be late, especially to this. She pulled the heavy doors open and prepared herself.

 _Zen, I have to be Zen,_ she thought as the familiar smell of liniment hit her nose taking her right back to her glory days at Point Place High.

"You?" a voice snarled loudly from the stands. "What are you doing here?"

Jackie looked over and saw Julie and her posse of bitches staring at her. Their arms were crossed, their faces were sour.

"Hi Julie," Jackie smiled as she carried on walking to the tables set up at the far end of the gym.

Julie stood up from her seat and walked towards her. "Why are you here?" she asked upon catching up to a very slow Jackie.

Jackie didn't look at the blonde midget, preferring to keep her eyes focused straight ahead. "I'm signing up for tryouts like everybody else."

Her heart was racing and she wasn't sure if it was because she had just power walked from a lecture theatre to make it here on time or whether it was because she was fighting the urge to slap Julie's pimpled face.

"We don't need you so you should just go back to Hicksville and cheer for the three guys you have in that tiny town," Julie hissed, still walking too close to Jackie for her liking.

Jackie joined the queue at the sign up table and shrugged. "That's cool," she said.

Julie glared at her, her nostrils flaring much to Jackie's delight. She was getting to her. "You're not listening, I said none of us want you here so you need to leave," she spat.

"Whatever," Jackie sighed.

Clearly frustrated Julie stomped her foot. "God you're stupid!"

"That's cool."

Julie's exasperated sigh and thundering footsteps as she walked away signalled to Jackie that all was right in the world of cheerleading. She was back on top, all thanks to Zen and a certain ruggedly handsome bar manager.

 _My Steven,_ Jackie thought as a satisfied smile crept over her face.

All day she had tried to not think about him, and the magical night they had shared together, for fear of getting distracted. She had set herself a number of tasks to complete today and signing up for cheer tryouts was the last on her list. Soon she could think about him, and in forty minutes she could actually see him. Today was a good day.

"I like your style," said the pretty blonde sitting behind the desk as she took Jackie's information sheet.

"Huh?"

The blonde nodded her head toward a scowling Julie sitting back down with her friends. "I like the way you handled her, most girls get too worked up and you'll never win a war with her verbally, so I like what you did there."

Jackie shrugged as if she were a Zen master and what she had just done was no big deal. "Oh I'm used to bitches like her and sometimes you can say a lot by saying very little," she explained.

"Well I'm impressed," the blonde girl smiled, "I'm Heather by the way, the captain of the team." She extended her hand and Jackie shook it.

"I'm Jackie Burkhart, I was the captain of my high school team and I'm hoping to be on yours," Jackie asserted.

"Tryouts are on Sunday at 3pm and I have a feeling you just might make the cut. We need girls with spunk, and I think you may have what we're looking for."

It took all the recently acquired Zen Jackie could muster to not reach over and hug Heather like they were already old friends. This is what she had been waiting for. This is the chance she so desperately needed.

"Oh I have plenty more where that came from," she said with confidence.

Heather laughed and started scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Hey, a few of us girls are heading to a Halloween party tonight, you wanna come?" she asked.

Jackie's heart skipped a beat. She had been a nobody for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to be invited out with the popular crowd. Again she called on Zen to stop her from doing a victory lap around the gymnasium.

"Oh I would love to, but I'm actually working til 10."

"Come after then," Heather encouraged, her blue eyes glistening, "we'll still be going til the early hours and I think it'd be great if you could meet the other girls. I really don't want you to think we're all like Julie."

Jackie smiled and took the paper from Heather. "Okay I'll try," she said knowing full well that her plan had been to spend the night with Hyde, not go to some college party. She could do it all; she could make the team without going to crazy parties.

"Great hopefully we'll see you tonight then."

After goodbyes were said Jackie made her way out of the gymnasium. Julie, of course, had done some heckling but Jackie simply waved and mouthed a 'whatever' to her as she strode on by. Scatty little girls with no manners were not gonna get to her anymore, not with Zen and Steven protecting her.

 _Steven..._

The wind was cold, so cold that tears were forming in Jackie's eyes as she made her way to the bus stop. But as cold as the last day of autumn in Milwaukee was, nothing could stop the warm fuzzies from buzzing through her. Memories of her night with Hyde swirled in her head as she waited for the bus, the memories warming her more than any winter coat.

Hyde had been quick to join her in his room the other night, much to Jackie's delight. He also hadn't wasted any time stripping off his jeans and AC/DC t-shirt and climbing into the bed she had spent ten minutes warming. He had grabbed her and pulled her on top of him before passionately kissing her. She could still vividly remember the feeling of their bare skin pressed up against each other and the taste of his whisky kisses.

God she had wanted him so badly at that moment.

They had spent the next forty minutes touching each other, feeling each other, tasting each other. Hyde had told her that she was beautiful and sexy, and had groaned about how much he wanted her. Jackie was sure he had kissed nearly every inch of her body that night...but that was as far at it had gone.

They hadn't had sex.

And it wasn't because she hadn't wanted to.

* * *

 _2am Thursday Morning..._

 _Much to Jackie's dismay Hyde rolled off of her, planting what felt like a goodbye kiss on her forehead. They had been making out for ages and she could feel his hardness digging into her thigh...so why was he stopping now?_

 _She cuddled into the crook of his arm and stoked his chest. "What are you doing? Why did you stop?" she whispered._

 _Hyde softly tickled her naked back and cleared his throat. "I just...we..." he started, "I just don't wanna do something that we both regret later."_

 _"I won't regret it," Jackie assured him as she gently kissed his nipple. She'd discovered how sensitive he was in that area and she wanted to use it to her advantage._

 _Hyde wiggled around a bit before guiding her face up to his. Yip, her nipple trick had worked. He kissed her lips._

 _"You might," he said into her mouth._

 _Jackie sighed. "I really don't get how you can resist me right now Steven...God, I'm in your bed...naked!"_

 _Frustrated, she moved out of his warm embrace over to the other side of the bed - the cold side - and immediately regretted being such a drama queen._

 _"Believe me Jackie, I'm struggling right now like you wouldn't believe," Hyde confirmed as he rolled over and pulled her back into his arms. "I want you so badly man..."_

 _"I want you too," Jackie said, closing her eyes at the warmth of Hyde's lips which were now trailing over her neck. "So why can't we?"_

 _She felt Hyde's chest deflate as he let out what was probably the biggest sigh she'd heard in her life...bigger than the one she let out when she saw girls wearing white after labour day._

 _He lifted his head and brought a hand up to her cheek. "I just don't want us to start something this way," he admitted while gently stroking her face with his thumb, "I don't want you to feel used."_

 _Used? Was he just using her for a quick lay? She thought she'd finally gotten through to him but perhaps a leopard never really changes it's spots. Perhaps Hyde was always gonna be the guy that goes for the quick thrill rather than long ride._

 _"Were you going to use me?" Jackie suddenly felt very exposed and tried to pull the thin sheet between her and Hyde but he pushed it away and instead pressed his body closer to hers._

 _"Maybe a little while ago I was. But I don't want to now."_

 _He was kissing her, trying to pry her mouth open, so she turned her face to the side._

 _"What changed?" she snapped._

 _"I guess I realised that you were right, maybe there is something between us," he whispered into ear._

 _The words he spoke softened her a little and Jackie let herself relax more into his tight embrace, but she still wanted to know more._

 _She brought her hands up to his hair and twirled his little curls around her finger. "Something? Explain what you mean Steven?"_

 _"You know what I mean," Hyde muttered into her neck, his breath tickling her ever so slightly._

 _"No I don't."_

 _"Yes you do."_

 _"I really don't you know...you have to elaborate."_

 _Hyde swatted her butt with his hand causing her to giggle. "Jackie," he grumbled, "don't make me say it."_

 _Jackie pushed herself out of his arms and rolled over so that her back was to him. "Goodnight Steven," she said with a smile._

 _"Dammit!" Hyde cursed as he shuffled over and put an arm around her waist. He kissed her shoulder and in that moment she felt that life couldn't get any better...or any more weird. She was lying naked in Hyde's bed and HIS arms were warming her, HIS lips were kissing her, HIS touch was exciting her, and HIS words were giving her hope. This was never in her life plan._

 _Fuck life plans._

 _"Jackie, I like you okay?" Hyde said with about as much enthusiasm as Eric had at his surprise birthday parties._

 _"Like me? As a friend?" God Jackie was pleased that he couldn't see her face...her grin was from ear to ear._

 _He kissed her shoulder again and pulled her body back further into his. "No stupid, I like you more than a friend."_

 _"Stop with the romance Hyde, you're killing me here," she teased._

 _Hyde chuckled. "I'm never gonna be the guy who says the right things Jackie..."_

 _"Well calling someone stupid when you're in the middle of telling them you have feelings for them is pretty wrong, even for you," she smiled as she squeezed his hand on her flat stomach._

 _"Whatever."_

 _"So, now that you've told me how much you like ..."_

 _"I never said how much I like you, I just said that I like you and remember that only a few months ago I hated..."_

 _Jackie smacked his hand. "Shut up Steven you're ruining it!" she growled. "Anyway, as I was saying, what happens now? Y'know, seeing as you've told me how much you like me?"_

 _Jackie was positive Hyde would be rolling his eyes right about now, but she didn't care. He liked her. He liked her so much that he didn't want to have sex with her just yet. That had to mean something._

 _"I guess I take you on a freaking date," he sighed._

 _"Oooohhhhh where? I've heard there's a really nice French Place just around the corner...oh but you'd have to wear a suit...have you got one of those? I should check your closet..."_

 _Hyde cut in. "I've got just the place, have you ever heard of Masterson's Irish Bar?"_

 _The rest of the night had been spent reminiscing over their younger years, the ones during which they'd both claimed to have hated each other. He asked her about her father going to prison and her mom's absenteeism, and she had asked him about living with the Forman's. When it was close to daybreak Jackie had fallen asleep in his strong arms, lulled by the feeling of his hand stroking her hair. It had been bliss._

 _She had woken up a few hours later and was already late for class. Hyde still had his arm around her so she had slipped out of his embrace as carefully as she could so as not to wake him. Gently placing a kiss on his perfect lips she had told herself that she had gotten it right this time; he was perfect._

* * *

Absolutely perfect.

And now it was finally Friday and she would finally get to see Mr Perfect.

Jackie stepped off the bus and dashed across the road to the bar, her mind a flutter with all the great things she had to tell Hyde. He would be so proud of her. She just knew it.

Running as fast as her still sore ankle would let her she couldn't shake the smile that the mere thought of Hyde brought to her face. Stuff Zen, she was happy, and she wasn't about to hide it.

"Hey guys!" she said to Kerin and Matt as she tossed her handbag behind the bar. "The place looks great." Halloween decorations had been carefully hung all around the bar. Jack o laterns lined the counter; cotton wool pulled apart to look like spiderwebs laced the walls.

"Yeah Hyde's not too happy about it," Kerin smiled. "Oh well, someone had to get into the spirit of it."

"Definitely," Jackie agreed, not at all surprised that the Halloween spirit that adorned the bar was not Hyde's doing. "Where is Steven anyway?" she casually asked while poofing her hair.

"He's got the night off," Kerin answered as he restocked the beer fridge. "It's me, you and the newbies tonight."

While the Halloween bomb hadn't surprised Jackie, Hyde's night off did. "Oh wow, that's cool that he's given himself time off," she said, "where is he? I just wanted to talk about my roster."

"I think he might be upstairs," Matt piped up from the sink. "I saw him pull up a little while ago."

"Great," Jackie smiled, shoving her hands nervously in her back pockets. "I'll just pop up now while the place is quiet."

She made her way across the bar while the guys carried on with their tasks. As much as she told herself that Hyde having the night off wasn't a big deal something about the situation just didn't feel right. She opened the door to the back room and Hyde jumped.

Quickly closing the door before running over to him Jackie felt like a kid at Christmas. She was sure he was getting hotter every single day...even when holding his dirty dope tin.

"There you are!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "You'll never believe what I did today..."

"Ah Jackie, you're meant to be working," Hyde stated as he pulled her arms down.

Her face dropped along with her arms, his cool tone scaring her.

"But I wanted to tell you about today and me signing up for tryouts," she said, placing her hands on his rock hard stomach.

Hyde shoved his tin in his back pocket and stepped toward the exit. "Good on ya Jackie, I gotta go."

Jackie grabbed his hand before he could leave, desperately trying to hold back the tears. What had changed since yesterday morning? Why was he being so distant?

"Steven, wait, please," she said sadly before trying to capture his lips with her own. He stood for a moment, not pulling away, but also not kissing her back.

"Jackie Burkhart! The devil lives, breathes, _and_ has her hands on our favourite orphan boy!" Eric Forman exclaimed as he bounded down the stairs.

Shocked, Jackie backed away from Hyde and looked at the scrawny neighbour boy. "Oh my god! Eric! What are you doing here?" she asked as she leaned in to hug him.

Eric hugged her back. "Just here for the weekend while Donna's in Point Place seeing her dad," he told her.

Jackie's eyes darted between Eric's goofy grin and Hyde's smug demeanour. He was just standing there, arms folded, as if those arms hadn't been wrapped around her less than 48 hours ago.

"Why didn't you go home? You must be missing your mommy and Red's foot up your ass by now?" Jackie smirked and she caught a little chuckle escape Hyde.

Eric sighed and leaned against the door frame. "Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, I am now a man of the world, I don't rush home every five minutes so that my mother can fuss over me..."

"Forman you went home last weekend and you're going next weekend," Hyde cut in.

Jackie laughed. "Oh Eric, you're such a baby, I don't know how Donna puts up with you," she teased somewhat truthfully, "so what are you guys up to tonight? My shift finishes at 10 so maybe we could hang out then?"

"Your shift actually started fifteen minutes ago Jackie so it'd be good if you could actually start working before planning what you wanna do when you finish," Hyde growled, "and anyway, it's boy's night."

Jackie wanted to fall on the floor in a heap of tears but instead she looked over at Eric who shrugged and gave her a confused look. Jackie nervously bit her nail thinking he wasn't the only confused person in the room.

"Oh, okay then," she mumbled, trying hard to meet Hyde's gaze that was of course concealed by his annoying sunglasses.

Eric spoke up, clearly trying to break the tension in the room. "Hey I think we'll be down in the bar at some point tonight so maybe we can have a drink with you then?"

Hyde stood by the doorway, arms still folded, Zen as hell.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she sighed, figuring perhaps this Hyde thing wasn't worth it.

"Okay, well, we'll catch ya later Jackie," Hyde said as he gestured to Eric to go upstairs. Eric called out a goodbye as he made his way up to Hyde's apartment leaving a very confused, very upset, Jackie standing alone in the back room.

She wiped the few tears that had finally toppled out of her eyes and onto her cheek and brushed them off on the front of her jeans.

 _I should've worn the damn skirt,_ she thought as she prepared to walk back out to the bar.

Just as her hand reached out for the door handle she heard someone bounding down the stairs. Forever hopeful, she quickly turned to see Hyde standing in the doorway, his arm leaning against the frame.

"Glad I caught ya," he said, eyebrows raised.

"Me too," Jackie said as she took a step closer to him.

"Just wanted to let you know that I've cleared tomorrow night for you and Kerin," Hyde informed her.

Jackie was puzzled. "Cleared tomorrow night? What do you mean?" she asked, her heart pounding.

Hyde smirked a nasty smirk. "Kerin said he asked you out a couple days ago and you said yes. He asked for you both to have a night off together... you get tomorrow. Have a good one Jackie," he shot at her before giving her a filthy look and storming back upstairs.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Sooorrryyy! but you know me, always have to devote at least one or two chapters to some good angst! Thanks again for reading and reviewing x_**


	10. Chapter 10

Hyde stormed up the stairs and into his apartment. As he entered his kitchen he went to slam the door hard only for it to rebound off Jackie's hand and back onto him.

"Fuck!" he yelled as the solid timber whacked him on the arm.

"Sorry!" Jackie cried, trying to reach out to him.

He wanted to push her out the door and out of his life. The 95 pound brunette with pink toenails was messing with his head and complicating the simple life he'd created for himself here in Milwaukee.

"Jackie just get out," he ordered, swatting her hands off of him.

"Not until you listen to me Steven," she pleaded. "You have to hear me out!"

He opened the door for her and waited for her to walk out of it. "No I don't," he said flatly.

Her bottom lip was quivering but he could tell she was trying hard not to cry. She looked so childlike, so needy. He didn't need or want needy in his life.

Instead of stepping out the door Jackie stepped closer to him. "Please let me explain," she begged just as Eric strolled into the kitchen.

"Explain what?" he asked.

Hyde watched as Jackie's eyes flicked from him to Eric.

"Um, explain why he hasn't changed the beer kegs," she stuttered.

Hyde folded his arms as he leaned back on the stove. "Yes I have," he smirked.

" _No you haven't Steven,_ " Jackie said, her eyes pleading with him to play along, "Can you _please_ come with me and change them now?"

"Like I said Jackie, they don't need changing so you need to run along and _start your fucking shift,_ " Hyde growled. He noticed Eric's puzzled expression and wondered if his foster brother was buying this crap.

"I can't start until the kegs have been changed, please come and change them," Jackie begged again.

"I'm not changing them," Hyde stated.

Eric moved further into the kitchen and into the tension. "Hey guys, can't Kerin change them?" he asked looking between his two friends.

Hyde grinned. "Yeah Forman, you're right, Kerin _can_ deal with the kegs now. They're his problem."

He was staring straight at Jackie, watching as her lip still quivered and her cheeks flushed red.

"I don't want them to be Kerin's problem, I want them to be _your_ problem," she argued, folding her arms around herself as if she were cold.

"Well they're not," Hyde snarled.

The small kitchen went quiet until Eric broke the silence. "Um, okay, I think I'll go down and change the kegs then...can't be that hard," he said as he nervously stepped between Hyde and Jackie and slipped out the door.

"Now look what you've done...Forman's gonna ruin the kegs," Hyde growled throwing an arm into the air but not taking his eyes off of Jackie.

"I don't care..."

"Of course you don't, it's not your job on the line...although it should be."

"Look Steven, just hear me out okay?" She moved closer to him and tried to grab at the hem of his t-shirt. God why did she always wanna touch him?

He said nothing.

She sighed.

"Kerin asked me out _before_ anything happened between me and you," she explained, her face so close to his that he could smell damn strawberries. "I don't want him, I want you."

Hyde looked away from her. If he couldn't see her he could easily resist her. Well that was his plan anyway.

"Why did you say yes to him then?" he asked.

"I was lonely I guess," she shrugged, her words confirming Hyde's suspicions.

"And Fez, why did ya go out with him?"

"I was lonely..." whispered Jackie.

Hyde walked over to the kitchen table and lit a cigarette, his mind racing with dumb Jackie crap that he really didn't wanna be thinking about. He had been a fool the other night and had let his guard down with her. He should never have told her how he felt. God didn't he learn anything from his childhood?

He sat down on a chair and took a drag of his smoke. "See Jackie, you just hook up with guys when you're lonely. We had some fun the other night but that was it. Go out with Kerin and have some fun with him, just leave me out of your shit."

Jackie rushed over to him and crouched down between his legs, placing her hands on his knees. "Steven I didn't make out with you because I was lonely...I made out with you because I like you. I said yes to Kerin when I didn't think I had a chance with you. You can't give up on us," she said, trying to catch his gaze.

"There is no us," Hyde said, avoiding the sight of her tear filled eyes.

"Please don't do this," she wept, "give me another chance."

He exhaled before standing up, Jackie caught his leg to stop herself tumbling over. "You need to go to work Jackie."

He walked to the door ignoring the sound of Jackie's sobs right behind him. He held the door open for her and the beautiful girl he for one night thought he had a chance with finally stepped out of it. Her little hands covered her tear stained face and for a moment Hyde wanted to grab her and wipe those tears away. But he couldn't. She had been slumming it out of loneliness with him and now she had a chance with Kerin, a guy who actually had a decent future ahead of him.

Once she was gone Hyde went to the living room and pulled out his tin. If there was ever a time for a circle it was now, he just hoped Forman hurried up with those kegs so that it wasn't a lone one.

Just as he finished licking the thin white paper he heard the door open. "You're right on time man," he called out as Eric walked in.

"Awesome!" the skinny boy exclaimed as he sat down on an armchair across from Hyde. "Man circle time just isn't the same when it's only me and Donna."

Hyde laughed at Eric's excitement. He'd missed this guy...hell he'd missed all of the old gang. But times change and people move on, you can't cling to the past forever. Which is precisely why he enjoyed the couple of times a year he got to hang with any of them.

"So," Eric began, shifting forward in his seat, "what's up with you and Jackie?"

"Forman, have you already forgotten the rules? No girl talk in the circle," Hyde reminded him. He really didn't want to talk about Jackie, in the circle or out of it.

Eric flicked the lighter in Hyde's face. "We haven't started yet my friend so girl talk is still allowed," he grinned.

Hyde scowled. "Dammit just light the thing," he ordered.

"Not until you tell me what's up with you n Jackie. I saw you two earlier, all over each other," Eric smiled, waggling his eyebrows.

"Hey, I wasn't all over her man, she was all over me," Hyde corrected him.

Eric shook his head and waved his skinny arms around. Why did Hyde miss him again?

"You weren't exactly pushing her off and running for the hills Hyde," Eric stated.

Hyde sighed and rubbed his brow. Between Jackie's drama and Eric's inquisition he could feel a headache coming on. "Look Forman, we may have hooked up a couple times but it was no big deal okay? There's nothing going on with us...it was just a momentary lapse of judgement."

"Donna said Jackie's been staying here all week, sounds kinda like something's going on to me..."

"She fucked her ankle man, I couldn't just leave her at her dorm," Hyde said exasperated.

"Sounds to me like someone's been to Oz and gotten himself a he-art," Eric teased as he tapped his chest with his finger.

"Get bent."

This was the crap Hyde had successfully avoided his whole life. When all his friends had stupid girl crap to deal with he was the one sitting back with a beer laughing at them. Now at the ripe old age of 20 he was getting shit from Forman about fuckin' Jackie Burkhart of all people.

"Aren't you sick of it Hyde? Aren't you sick of the endless chicks on the weekends? Don't you wanna settle down?" Eric asked, still flicking the lighter on and off. If he didn't light the damn thing soon Hyde was going to permanently ban the idiot from the circle.

"Aren't you sick of it Eric? Aren't you sick of the _same chick_ every single night? And the endless fucking arguments about stupid shit?" he counter argued.

Eric smiled and raised his eyebrows. "No I'm not actually. I have my best friend with me every day. We hang, we talk, sure we argue sometimes but the good times make up for the bad."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Good for you Forman...it all sounds peachy...and fucking boring. Anyway, you do remember that we're talking about Jackie right? You can't be encouraging me to have a relationship with a girl you refer to as the devil. The same girl we've both hated forever."

Eric shrugged. "Jackie's grown up, I don't hate her anymore. And I don't believe that you ever really hated her."

What the hell was this guy on. _Everyone_ knew how much Hyde hated Jackie. It was common knowledge.

"Ah, excuse me? I drew a mono-brow on her," Hyde argued, trying to jog Eric's obviously failing memory.

"You also continuously tried to get Kelso caught when he was cheating on her, and you also helped compose a list of all the lies he'd told her, and you took Jackie's side when Kelso thought she owed him money. Therefore, me believes thou doth protest too much," Eric smirked.

"Whatever Forman, just light the fuckin' joint man," Hyde sighed.

As Eric finally gave up and brought the perfectly rolled doobie to his mouth Hyde thought about what he'd said. Thinking back over the years maybe he had held a soft spot for Jackie, a soft spot that even he didn't notice. But even if he had...or still did...none of it mattered now. He wasn't good enough for her back then and he wasn't good enough for her now.

He was just a piece of rough until something smoother and shinier came along.

...

 ** _Friday, October 31st, 1980_**

 _ **9.45pm**_

 ** _Masterson's Irish Bar_**

The shift had been brutal. So brutal.

Knowing Hyde was upstairs ignoring her and Kerin was down here hating her was making Jackie crazy. She had told Kerin earlier on that she couldn't go out with him. Of course she'd left the Hyde part out - none of them needed this 'love triangle' getting anymore out of hand than it already was - but Kerin was still pissed off. She had found it amusing at first the way a guy can so quickly change from adoring nice guy to bad tempered asshole, but now she was just pissed off.

At least the bar was quiet. When it was quiet she didn't have to be something she wasn't; she didn't have to be happy and accommodating, she could just stand around biting her nails wishing she was anywhere but here.

"God it's boring," the new girl Gemma said as she stood next to Jackie applying lip gloss.

"Tell me about it," Jackie agreed.

Tonight had been her first night working with Gemma and despite the small blonde's short skirt, Jackie quite liked her. She was also at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee but unfortunately their paths had never crossed, until tonight obviously.

"At least you get to finish soon," Gemma moaned, "I have another two hours. What a waste of time, no one's drinkin' in bars tonight, they're all at home having house parties."

Jackie looked around the empty bar. The scene was a far cry from the usual Friday at Masterson's. "Yeah but I have nothing to do when I finish," Jackie sighed.

The two girls didn't notice their boss and his friend stroll into the bar so both jumped when he spoke. "Standing around lettin' the guys do all the hard work I see ladies?" Hyde sniped as he pulled out two glasses and poured him and Eric a beer.

Jackie felt her face go red. "Oh we, just..." she started.

"Look Hyde," Gemma interjected, "the place is empty. There's a party Jackie and I wanna go to tonight, you think you could be a cool guy and let me finish at 10 with her?"

Jackie's heart sped up. Her and Gemma had spoken earlier about the big party tonight but they'd never discussed going...hell, she didn't even have a costume to wear.

Hyde looked over at her and smirked. "College party huh? Yeah you girls should go," he said as he handed Eric his beer.

"Thank you Hyde, you're the best!" Gemma exclaimed as she whipped off her apron and threw it behind the bar.

"Yeah I know," Hyde winked at Jackie.

What did he mean by the wink? Was it a friendly wink or a nasty one? She never could tell with him.

"C'mon Jackie let's go get ready out here," Gemma called from the back room.

"I'll be there soon," Jackie called back as she smiled at Eric who was walking over to a table. Just as Hyde finished pouring his beer she touched his forearm discreetly. "Hey, I told Kerin I didn't want to go out with him...ever," she quietly said.

Hyde sipped his beer and stepped around her. "Whatever," he shrugged.

It was pointless trying to get through to him so Jackie didn't even bother watching him walk away. Instead she joined Gemma in the back room.

"Here y'go, get one of these down ya," Gemma said handing Jackie a shot of tequila.

"Oh I don't know about that," Jackie said as she nervously eyed the clear liquid. "I'm not too good on spirits."

Gemma, who had been frantically scrounging through a large plastic bag of what looked liked costumes, stared up her. "Jackie, it's one shot. It'll loosen you up a bit. And here," she smiled, tossing Jackie a thin bit of fabric, "I totally think you should wear this."

Jackie downed her shot and opened up the fabric, her brow furrowing when she saw that it was a strapless bodysuit.

"What is this supposed to be?" she asked.

Gemma dug around the bag. "You can go as a playboy bunny. Look, here's the ears, tie, and stockings," she excitedly said.

Jackie knew she was hot, she'd been told so too many times to recall, even scruffy Hyde had told her so the other night. But the thought of parading around in next to nothing when it was just about winter wasn't very appealing.

"What else have you got in there?" she asked trying to peer in the bag. "Why don't you go in this and I'll take whatever else you have."

Gemma pulled out an exact replica of what Jackie was already holding. "We're both going as bunnies," she grinned. "I got the costumes for me and a friend but she's already at the party so you may as well wear it."

Jackie held the costume back out to Gemma. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she sighed.

Gemma ignored her and instead handed her another shot. "C'mon Jackie, let's just have some fun. I have a pile of make-up, two costumes, and half of bottle of tequila. Let's do this," she said convincingly.

Holding the little glass Jackie peeked out the door and saw Hyde and Eric sitting at a table by the bar. They were laughing at whatever silly story Eric was telling. She knew the story was coming from Eric because the scrawny guy couldn't stop with the hand gestures. They were having fun...Hyde was having fun. he wasn't sitting around lamenting the loss of Jackie.

Jackie took her second shot, deciding she wasn't about to sit around lamenting the loss of a dirty burnout like Hyde.

...

 ** _25 minutes later..._**

Hyde couldn't help but look over when the door to the back room burst open revealing two scantily clad Playboy bunnies. They both looked good, but the brunette looked particularly hot. His heart rate sped up when he saw her and he was pretty sure his heart dropped into his stomach.

"Holy crap, little Jackie Burkhart certainly _is_ all grown up," Eric declared as he eyed Jackie up and down.

Hyde said nothing. He gripped his glass tightly as the two bunnies strolled over to their table.

"Thanks again Hyde for letting me go early," Gemma smiled once they'd reached the table.

Hyde didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on Jackie in those fishnet stockings and tiny black bodysuit. "Yeah no worries," he mumbled.

Jackie whispered something in Gemma's ear before both girls started laughing. She then put her arms around Eric's shoulders and tumbled into his lap.

"Oh Eric it's _soooooooo_ good to see you!" she cried. "I wish Donna were here though." Eric looked slightly puzzled as Jackie picked up his beer and started sculling it.

"Uh, Jackie, I thought you hated beer?" he asked.

Jackie sat the empty glass down, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed. " _Noooooooo,_ I just hate Steven. Right Steven?" she said as she finally turned to face Hyde.

From the moment he saw her heavily made up eyes he could tell she was smashed. "Jackie how much have you had to drink?" he asked, watching her breasts very nearly tumble out of the tiny bit of fabric she was wearing.

"Oh she hasn't had that much," Gemma chimed in as she tried to pull Jackie up. "Only a few shots of tequila."

"Yeah well look at her, she's wasted, she can't go out like that," Hyde growled.

Jackie now had one arm flung around Gemma's neck and was swaying to the music coming from the speakers. "You can't tell me what to do _Hyde_ , coz you're just an asshole," she grinned. "Isn't that right Gemma? Our boss is an asshole."

"Uh, um..." Gemma stuttered nervously.

"Whatever Jackie," Hyde said dismissively, trying to conceal the concern he had about Jackie going out that drunk wearing those clothes. As she nearly fell forward the hickey he'd put on her right breast was revealed earning him two raised eyebrows from Eric. That was it, he was done with this crap. "Look why don't you two run along to your party?" He waved his hand as if flicking them away and picked up his glass, the girls giggling as they stumbled out of the bar.

God Jackie was a pain in his ass.

"I'm surprised you let your little girlfriend go out like that," Eric said as he inspected his now empty glass.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Forman she's not my girlfriend. She can do whatever the hell she wants."

Damn, if she was his girlfriend Hyde would've had her upstairs with a hot chocolate the minute she'd stepped into the bar looking like that.

"Well I think you like her," Eric sing-songed much to Hyde's annoyance.

"I don't like her...I can't like her...Forman, if I like her, shoot me," Hyde growled, his heart still racing from the little brunettes mere presence.

"POW!" Eric cried right before Hyde frogged him in the arm.

...

 ** _Two hours later..._**

The beer had done little to stop the girly crap Jackie thoughts that were invading Hyde's mind so it was now time for his faithful friend Jack Daniels. He walked up to the bar and motioned his order to Kerin. Ugh, Kerin, god that guy was getting on his wick tonight for some reason.

As he waited, a group of girls approached the bar very nearly tumbling into him. He turned around, ready to kick the drunkens out, and saw a blonde Playboy bunny...Gemma. He scanned the group for her partner in crime but couldn't find the unicorn lovin' object of his desire.

"Hey Gemma," he called over to her, "where's Jackie?"

Gemma bowled over to him, her make-up smeared all over her face, and the smell of tequila lingering around her. "Oh my god, Jackie is _so_ drunk!" she laughed.

"I didn't ask how drunk she was I asked where she is man."

"She's still at the party, she didn't wanna leave even though it was lame, just a bunch a jocks gettin' all handsy," Gemma slurred.

Hyde clenched his fists into tight balls. "So you just left her there? On her own?"

"She wasn't on her own, some big guy was holding her up," Gemma said as though everything was fine.

"What's the address man? Where's this party?" Hyde demanded.

Gemma rattled off the address and Hyde handed her his two shots of JDs...not that she flipping needed or deserved them. In a flurry of rage, or concern, or desperation (he wasn't sure which) he raced to the table and pulled Eric up by the arm.

"Woah there buddy..." Eric said, nearly stumbling over.

Hyde pushed his keys into Eric's hand and led him out of the bar. "You're driving man, you've had way less than me," he ordered.

"Wait, where are we going?" asked Eric as the cold November air hit them both like a tonne of bricks.

"To deal with this pain in my goddamn ass."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Saturday, November 1st 1980**_

 _ **12.35am**_

 _ **Some college party in Milwaukee...**_

Hyde stepped out of the El Camino and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. It was cold, damn cold, but the icy air had managed to sober him up a bit which he figured was a good thing. He was a sloppy fighter when he was too boozed and he had a funny feeling he might be fighting someone tonight. Eric must've had the same feeling because he wouldn't move out of the driver's seat.

"Forman!" Hyde yelled through the window. "Hurry up man!"

Eric sighed and very reluctantly got out of the car. "Can't you just run in and get her?" he quietly pleaded as he eyed the huge footballers loitering out front of the dilapidated house. "I'll stay here and keep the engine running."

While Hyde knew Eric was no good to him in a fight he still wanted the extra set of eyes to help search for Jackie.

"No Eric ya big baby you're coming," he ordered as he started walking up the driveway, Eric following closely behind.

The place was crazy; meatheads crushing cans on their own heads; idiots throwing garden furniture on the bonfire; girls wearing bras and panties letting guys spray them with beer. It was mental. And something Hyde probably could have gotten into if he were here under different circumstances.

"Can you see her?" he asked Eric.

Eric shook his head while doing up his jacket zipper. "Nah, everyone looks the same to me," he answered.

The boys did a lap around the bonfire checking out every passed out chick they saw on their way. They got a few dirty looks and asshole comments but Hyde brushed them off easily enough; he wasn't about to waste his energy fighting now, he still had Jackie to find.

"She must be inside," he said as he gestured to Eric to follow him up the path which led to the back door.

"Sure I can't wait in the car?" Eric asked hopefully.

"Sorry Forman, you're coming."

The place looked dodgy as hell, even by Hyde's standards, so he could easily understand why a sheltered kid like Eric would be apprehensive about going in. He actually wondered what would've made Jackie come to a place like this. Oh, that's right, a shitload of tequila and a festering hate for him.

He opened the rickety screen door and walked inside. The place was dimly lit and stunk of dope. Clearly it was the space reserved for the stoners and the lovebirds and, not surprisingly, when he walked through to the living room he found a few stoners kicking back to some Bob Marley tunes, and a couple of kids making out on the couches.

"And there she is," Eric said pointing to a girl dressed much like Jackie lying underneath a guy twice the size of Hyde.

"Fuck!" Hyde cursed when he realised it was her. He didn't wanna find her like that, with some guy's hands all over her, and her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Um, should we maybe, just, leave?" Eric whispered, pointing to the door.

Hyde pulled his fists out of his pocket. "No Eric you fucking baby, we're not leaving her here. She's wasted, anything could happen to her!"

He stormed over to the couch and gripped the guy's collar, using it to pull him off of Jackie.

"What the fuck?" the guy said from the floor.

"I'm here to get her," Hyde said bending down to pick up a near comatose Jackie. She was a mess, her black eyeliner and mascara smeared over her face, and her lipstick smudged all around her mouth. He had to get her outta there.

"Ah, I don't think so," the meathead said standing up. Yip, he was definitely twice the size of Hyde. But Hyde bet he wasn't as fucking angry.

"Well I do," Hyde grinned. He knew he probably shouldn't get cheeky to footballers who wanna fight him but he couldn't help it. Cheekiness was in his nature.

The guy pushed Hyde's back before he could get a hold of Jackie. "I said, leave her there. She's with me."

Hyde swung around. "And I said I'm fucking taking her coz she's _with me_!" he said as he pushed the guy back.

The footballer swung what Hyde knew would've been a knockout right hook but Hyde managed to duck and avoid it's damage. He bounced back up and smacked the guy hard in the eye with his fist and gave him a quick uppercut to the jaw for good measure.

"Get the car started Forman!" he yelled to a panicked Eric who was standing with his mouth agape. "Now Forman!"

The footballer was still holding his eye and getting his bearings which only allowed them about 2 minutes to get the hell outta there. Hyde scooped Jackie up and ran to the Camino. Just as he threw her in the car and got in next to her he saw the footballer and four of his friends running down the driveway.

"Go go go!" he said to Eric as the skinny boy reversed out of the park and put his foot of the accelerator.

"Catch ya later guys!" Hyde yelled out the window with a grin. "God I love the adrenaline rush," he exclaimed as he sat back in his seat and wound up the window.

Eric glanced at him, and then in the rear view mirror, with a look of horror. "Are you kidding me? Those guys would've killed us dude!"

"They had to catch us first, which they didn't," Hyde smirked as he turned and watched the guys turn into miniature versions of themselves. "Great get away driving by the way," he winked at Eric.

In all the excitement he had forgotten his whole reason for going to that house and fighting in the first place, Jackie. She was slumped in between him and Eric and in pretty bad shape.

Eric glanced down at her. "She's a mess huh?" he said to Hyde. "Guess that's what college does to some people. See I'm lucky, I have Donna, we don't go to all those crazy..."

"Shut up Forman." Hyde knew college hadn't done this to Jackie, he had. They should never have messed around to begin with, someone always got hurt, and by saving himself he'd thrown her under the bus.

He pulled her head up and wound the window back down. The breeze streaming in was freezing but right now Jackie needed freezing.

"Cold," she shivered from his shoulder, her eyes still closed.

"I know, but you need to sober up," Hyde told her.

"So cold," she said, her bottom lip trembling and goose bumps popping up all over her arms.

"Come here," Hyde sighed as he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "You need fresh air Jackie, stick your head out the window," he ordered.

It felt good to have her on his lap and in his arms but Eric's watchful eye was preventing him from enjoying it too much. He saw his friend open his mouth to say something about the couple in the passenger seat but Hyde quickly shut him down.

"Don't even say it man," he said as he buried his face in Jackie's hair. Eric shrugged and turned back to the road with a smile on his face.

Jackie opened her eyes. "Steven?"

"Yeah Jackie," he whispered into her ear.

"Oh my god Steven! And Eric!" she slurred when she realised who was driving the car. "I didn't realise you two were coming to the party! Did we dance? Where are we going now?"

She was still as drunk as anything. Crap. "We're going home so that you can drink some water," Hyde told her as she slid her arms around his neck.

"I don't want water...I want tequila. Oh Eric, I drink tequila now," she said with a grin.

"So I hear..." Eric teased.

"And Eric, did you know that me and Steven are in love?" Jackie was now kissing Hyde's face and saying stupid fucking things to Forman, but crap if Hyde didn't wanna kiss her right back.

"Really Jackie? You and _Steven_ are in love? Tell me more?" Eric said waggling his eyebrows and trying not to laugh.

"Jackie that's enough, just go to sleep okay?" Hyde encouraged her, trying to push her head onto his chest.

She sat up and looked at Eric. "Yes me and Steven are in love...he tickles my back and dances with me and kisses my shoulder and makes me hot choco..."

Hyde was pissed. "Jackie! Stop..."

"Continue Jackie, I'm listening," Eric said as they waited at a stop sign. "Keep talking."

Hyde frogged him in the arm but he knew nothing was gonna stop Eric encouraging this bullshit. Dammit, he should've driven himself.

"Oh he's wonderful Eric...aren't you Steven?" she said before planting a big wet kiss that tasted like beer on his mouth.

"So how long have you two been in love?" Eric asked as if he were a freaking reporter for the 6 o'clock news.

Jackie stopped kissing and looked at Eric again, her eyes bloodshot and half asleep. "We've been in love for 2 days. We've been in love since that night in his bed, when we had no clothes on..."

"Dammit Jackie stop it!" Hyde yelled. "Here kiss me again if you love me." Anything to shut her up.

"No clothes Jackie? Really?"

Jackie pulled away. Hyde growled. "You're gonna get it Eric."

"Mmmmmm, no clothes," Jackie purred as she stared into Hyde's eyes. "My Steven has the best body, and the hottest kisses, and the biggest, fattest, diiiii..."

"Okay I don't need to hear that!" Eric cried nearly missing the turn off to the bar.

Hyde grinned. "No Jackie, please continue," he said with raised eyebrows, loving his friend squirming in the driver's seat. "What were you saying?" he asked as he pushed some hair over her shoulder.

She sighed and closed her eyes, laying her head back down on his shoulder. "I'm so tired. I can't remember what I was saying," she mumbled.

Eric raised his shoulders and grinned as he pulled into the bar's parking lot. "Guess it can't have been that memorable huh _Steven_?" he chided.

Hyde laughed. "Fuck you Forman, help me get her out would ya?" he said with a smile.

...

 ** _Saturday, November 1st 1980_**

 ** _2am_**

 ** _Hyde's Apartment_**

Jackie woke up with a pounding head, a sick stomach, and to top it off, was completely disorientated. She couldn't remember anything from the party except for arriving and she knew that couldn't be a good thing. She rolled onto her back wondering what the hell she'd done and where the hell she was.

Thanks to the light from the Masterson's Bar sign outside she could make out the room. The Sid Vicous poster staring down at her meant she was at Hyde's, but it didn't tell her how she'd come to be there. She could hear him breathing next to her and she was tempted to wake him, but the thought of snide comments and nasty remarks put her off.

Suddenly overcome with the urge to be sick she scrambled out of the bed and to the toilet, only just making it in time for the foul smelling liquid and chunks to violently leave her system. She cried more and more with every stomach spasm...god she hated being sick. During each little break she rolled up toilet paper to wipe her eyes and mouth.

This was disgusting.

This was rock bottom.

"You okay Jackie?"

 _Great,_ she thought as yet more vomit spilled from her into the toilet, _now Eric Forman is watching me vomit_

She felt Eric scoop up her hair and hold it back for her. "Let it out Jackie," he encouraged, as she vomited her dignity away. "You'll feel better when it's out."

"Okay Eric, I get it, I don't need you to personally cheer me through this experience okay?" she said as she wiped more tears out of her eyes.

"What's going on?" She heard Hyde's deep, sleepy voice coming from the doorway and she now officially wanted to die.

"She's pretty sick man," Eric explained as if it wasn't freaking obvious.

"I'll go get her one of those hair thingys," Hyde said as he walked away.

"I'm right here you know," Jackie cried into the toilet bowl.

Eric patted her back with the hand that wasn't holding her hair. "Yes Jackie we know, we can hear you and smell you," he said in his usual mock tone.

God this was embarrassing.

"Here, watch out Forman, I'll sort it from here," Hyde said grabbing Jackie's hair from Eric as the skinny one squeezed his way out of the toilet.

"Okay, well, get better soon Jackie," Eric called while he walked back to his bed on the couch.

Hyde was pulling her hair while she was vomiting chunks and his tugging was making her feel worse.

"Ow!" she cried as the last bit of bile left her stomach.

"Sorry Jackie, I'm not a fucking hairdresser," he said. "There, I'm done, you look beautiful." He was laughing and she could tell that he'd just tied her hair up in the most ridiculous topknot ever. Just one more thing to feel completely embarrassed about.

She flushed the toilet and fell back against the wall, not quite ready to stand up yet. Hyde was standing in the doorway dressed in his sweatpants and white singlet looking sleepy. And cute. Not that she cared anymore.

"C'mon I'll help you back to bed," he said extending a hand to her.

She shook her head, exhausted after her experience. "No, I need a minute, and then I need a shower, and a toothbrush," she panted.

Tossing a wad of toilet paper into the toilet bowl she looked down at her top. "Aerosmith?" she asked when she saw she was wearing one on Hyde's band tees.

He grinned and folded his arms. "I thought you'd like that one," he winked, his eyes uncovered and looking more blue than usual under the bright light.

If he was referring to their dance a few nights ago Jackie didn't care. That ship had sailed when he hadn't trusted how she felt about him.

"Whatever," she sighed.

Hyde crouched down opposite her and put his hands on her knees. "C'mon, you can't sit here all night. I'll help you to the shower and find you a new toothbrush, I'm sure I have one in there," he offered.

"I can sort myself," Jackie said as she slowly stood up, the pain in her head nearly making her fall over again.

Hyde jumped up and wrapped his arm around her. "No you can't."

She tried to pull away from him but didn't have the strength to do so. "Contrary to what you may think Steven I really don't need you," she muttered as he walked her to the bathroom and flicked on the light.

She sat down on the edge of the bath while he turned the shower on. "Oh I think you do, tonight was a shining example," he said as he rummaged through a draw and pulled out a toothbrush still in the plastic.

"I don't even remember tonight so it doesn't count," Jackie sniped.

Hyde shot her a look of surprise as he put the toothpaste on the brush and handed it to her. "Put it this way Jackie, you could've been in some serious trouble if Forman and I hadn't come to find you and drag you out of that party."

Jackie shrugged. "Whatever." She nodded to the door and put the toothbrush in her mouth. "Can you leave now? I want a shower."

"Whatever," Hyde said as he left the room and closed the door.

Once showered and feeling clean again Jackie stood in the dark hallway contemplating what to do. She could either sleep on the couch with Eric, which she knew would piss off Donna and probably Eric, or she could go back to bed with Hyde, which would piss her off. Being the good friend that she knew she was she decided to take the bullet and sleep next to Hyde.

Quietly pulling the covers back she climbed into bed, praying that he was asleep. She was so tired, and her head hurt so bad. She needed to sleep.

She wasn't in there one minute before Hyde's arm slid around her waist. "Feel better?" he murmured into her hair.

"I did," she said trying to lift his arm off of her.

He pulled her closer. "Don't be silly," he whispered, "just go to sleep." He kissed the back of her neck and she closed her eyes.

Why had he ruined what they'd had? Okay it wasn't a huge relationship but it had been one built on friendship and understanding and he'd gone and destroyed it. His trust issues were big, too big for Jackie to deal with.

"Why couldn't you believe me," she quietly asked as her body began to warm up.

"What do you mean?"

"Why couldn't you believe that I really liked you? Why did you think I'd go on a date with Kerin?"

"Ah, because Kerin told me that you said yes to going on a date with him," Hyde stated, pulling her close into his body.

Jackie rolled onto her back and Hyde took the opportunity to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "But why didn't you talk to me about it properly, before just calling it all off?" she asked.

Hyde sighed. "Because I'm more of an actions guy Jackie, not a words guy okay?" He put his hand under her top and rested it on her stomach. His touch was incredible, but she couldn't let it sway her.

"So what would you do if we were together and you saw me talking to a guy one time?"

"Depends who it was and how he was looking at you."

"If it was a handsome jock and he was giving me the eye.

Hyde buried his face in her shoulder.

"Answer me Steven," she said.

"I'd probably wanna punch him in the face, and I'd probably wanna yell at you," he said truthfully.

"And there's the problem. You went on about all the reasons why we couldn't be together when really the only problem is your trust issues."

She couldn't help it, she slid her arms around his neck as he lay his head on her chest, wishing that she could rewind the clock. Again she had stupidly been ready to give her all to a guy and again the guy had let her down. She thought Hyde had been different, more mature perhaps. Who would've thought the nasty burnout from the basement was really just an insecure little boy? Not Jackie that's for sure.

They lay in silence for a while, both deep in thought.

"You never counter argued one of my reasons," Hyde finally said as he gently ran his hand across her stomach.

"Which one?" Jackie was surprised, she was sure she had given him an answer for everything.

"The one about you always wanting something better and me being happy with the same old," he reminded her.

She kissed the top of his head and could smell the shampoo she herself had just used. Apples, it smelled like apples.

"I'm not going to either Steven, you can work that one out. I think I've done enough hard work for the both of us."

Hyde lifted his head a little and looked at her. "Jackie I went to a college party and punched out a guy twice my size _and_ let fucking Forman drive the Camino...I think I've done plenty."

Jackie pulled his head back down and kissed his curls again. "But I don't remember any of that so it doesn't count," she lied before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **a/n: Only two more chapters to go guys! Thanks again for the reviews, I love 'em.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Saturday, November 1st 1980**_

 _ **9.40am**_

 _ **Hyde's Apartment**_

Half asleep, Hyde reached over in search of Jackie. He loved the feeling of her body pressed up against his, it was like she was made for him. His heart sank when he realised she wasn't there and that he was alone. He pulled a pillow over his head and thought about the night they'd just had. He had barely slept, he couldn't. Instead he lay his head on her chest and listened to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, it's timing predictable and regular; Hyde wished he could believe that she would be as trustworthy.

He had watched her sleep for hours, fixated on just how beautiful she had become. It was unfathomable to Hyde that someone this perfect would want someone like him; someone broken and possibly unmendable. As he lightly stroked her face he had remembered that she was just as broken as he was, if not more. When his mom had left him his life had got better, but when Jackie's parents left she had been forced to move down the ladder - to Bob's. He figured that would have to have been hard, and in some ways was why he hadn't wanted a relationship with her. If someone like Jackie was his first girlfriend how would any other girl ever compare? He didn't want the best for fear of losing the best.

Nothing had been resolved between them last night but at least he had been able to hold her and kiss her for a few hours. Even the memory made him less pissed off and would hopefully get him through until he saw her again.

He rolled over and saw a note on his nightstand with his name on it. Clearing his throat he reached over and grabbed it before sitting up a little. He propped himself up on his pillows and prayed that whatever she had written would be positive.

 _Dear Steven,_ it said,

 _Thank you for saving me last night, you seem to be doing that a lot lately, and I am truly grateful to have a friend as caring as you. I want to apologise for the way our relationship has become blurred...It's my fault, I came on to you and I shouldn't have. I know, and have always known, that you don't do the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing and I should've just left you to it. I guess I just couldn't help the way I felt about you and hoped that you would feel the same. Anyway, I think it's a good idea that we put a bit of distance between us just until things settle a little. I still need my job though - I'm not stupid remember? I'm not letting a guy drive me out of a job! So if you wouldn't mind shuffling the roster for the next few weeks so that I work on your nights off I would be forever grateful. You're a great guy 'Hyde', I just wish that you could see what I see._

 _Thanks again,_

 _Jackie._

Hyde angrily screwed up the paper and threw it at Sid's face, however not before noticing that Jackie no longer dotted the 'I' in her name with a smiley face. She had grown up, but he hadn't. Dammit!

He jumped out of bed and stomped down to the kitchen where he found Eric making pancakes.

"Morning _Steven,_ can I interest you in some pancakes?" he offered.

"Fuck Forman you're turning more and more into your mother everyday," Hyde said as he slammed a cup down on the bench and poured himself a coffee.

Eric shrugged. "What can I say, Donna won't cook for me and when she does I tend to get sick," he said rubbing his stomach as if remembering all the bouts of food poisoning he's had over the last year, "so I had to learn."

He flipped a pancake onto a plate and offered it to Hyde.

"Not hungry," Hyde mumbled as he took his coffee to the table and lit a cigarette.

"Geez even Jackie was happier than you this morning and she must've had a killer hangover," Eric said as he poured more batter onto the hot girdle.

Hyde looked over at him. "What, you saw her this morning?" he asked.

"Yeah, I drove her back to campus," Eric mumbled, completely absorbed in his cooking skills. "Wait til you see me flip this baby," he winked.

"What did she say?" Hyde was digging for any info on Jackie that he could get.

"Who?"

Hyde threw the paper at Eric, hitting him on the back. "Jackie! What did Jackie say when she left?"

"Not much, just the usual, I'm skinny, Donna could do better, the cold weather really dries out her hands, blah blah blah," Eric said before flipping the pancake high in the air. "What did'ya think of that?" he asked enthusiastically.

Hyde ignored the flying breakfast in his kitchen, the only thing he cared about was the girl who'd flown out of his door this morning without talking to him.

"Did she say anything about me?"

Eric took his eyes off breakfast and looked at Hyde. "Nah man, she didn't."

"That's cool," Hyde shrugged before looking out the window.

Eric turned the stove off and sat down across from Hyde. "Look, you gotta go after her."

"I don't gotta do anything," Hyde growled before dragging on his smoke.

Eric sighed. "You do this every time dude. When things get too hard you bail instead of trying to fix them. Now I don't know what happened with you and Jackie, and quite frankly I don't wanna know, but don't give up on her just yet."

"Whatever."

"Enough with the whatever crap," Eric cried, rolling his eyes and throwing a tea towel on the table, "so you're just gonna sit round here saying 'whatever' while Jackie moves on and finds somebody else?"

Hyde shrugged. "If that's what she wants."

"I think it's obvious that that isn't what she wants, she wants you Hyde, so for once in your life why don't you let somebody in?"

Hyde sipped his coffee and stubbed out his smoke before standing up. "Thanks for the pep talk Johnny Psychology. I got shit to do so I'll catch ya later man."

As he walked to his bedroom and grabbed clothes for the shower Eric's words rang through his head. He did want to do something about Jackie. The thought of her with another guy made his stomach sick. He just didn't know how to get her back and prove to her that he could change.

...

 ** _Wednesday, 6th November 1980_**

 ** _3.50pm_**

 ** _Masterson's Irish Bar_**

Her hands were clammy, which was odd because Jackie Burkhart didn't do sweaty or clammy. She wiped them down the front of her jeans and mentally prepared herself to walk into work.

It surprised her a little that Hyde hadn't been difficult about changing the rosters. She had thought he would've tried to fire her, or called her a baby and told her to deal with it. But no, he had respected her wishes and shuffled everyone around so that they didn't have any shifts together. When Gemma had given her the new rosters a note from Hyde had come with them apologising that she now only had two shifts. She understood though, he was the manager after all and couldn't not be there just to accommodate her.

So tonight was the first night she was working since she'd left Hyde's bed on Saturday morning. She knew she would probably see him at some stage over the course of the evening, but at least she wouldn't have to be with him for 7 hours and not be able to touch him. She wasn't ready for that yet; withdrawal was a slow process.

"Hey Kerin," she smiled as she walked around the bar.

To her surprise he smiled back. "How's it going?" he asked.

She picked up her apron and tied it up. "Not bad, pretty busy with school y'know," she said.

"Yeah tell me about it, it's getting pretty full on at the moment huh," Kerin chatted as he placed some clean glasses on the top shelf.

She wasn't sure why Kerin was being so cool with her and she didn't really care to know. As long as it wasn't awkward Jackie was cool with it.

The shift went by quickly with no sign of Hyde. A few times Jackie had heard the back door open and close and had been tempted to go and see her curly haired friend but she hadn't. If she saw him she'd want him, and they weren't right for each other. She wore her heart on her sleeve and he kept his buried in a dark place covered in jealousy and insecurity; it would never work.

No matter how much she wanted it to.

So Jackie kept herself busy chatting with Harry and the rest of the regulars and listened to their stories of days gone by. She'd grown to love those old guys and they seemed to love her, even when she told them they needed to go home to their poor long suffering wives. Hyde used to growl her for doing it, she was discouraging business according to him. She told him that she was encouraging the family unit and that topped business every time.

Just before closing time Jackie nipped out the back to get some more towels and nearly fell over when she saw Kerin and Gemma all over each other on Hyde's recliner. Covering her hand with her mouth, so as not to disrupt them with her burgeoning laugh, she quickly closed the door and left them to it. No wonder Kerin had been fine with her, he'd moved onto other barmaids, one's that wore short skirts, and Jackie didn't mind one little bit.

A few minutes later the sheepish twosome emerged to help with clean-up, oblivious to the fact they'd been caught out.

"If you two want to go I can clean up," Jackie offered with a sly smile.

Kerin stopped sweeping and looked over at Gemma. "You sure Jackie?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she grinned.

"That'd be great, I have _so_ much homework to do," Gemma said as she untied her apron.

"Oh I'm sure you do, that's why I insist you run along." Jackie couldn't believe these two were so stupid, nothing got by her, especially when it was right in the next room.

She locked the door after the lovebirds pretended to go their separate ways and cleared the last of the tables. She looked at the time knowing that Hyde would be down soon to cash up and for some reason found herself touching up her make-up.

God, habits were a funny thing.

Sure enough, at 11 on the dot Hyde walked in, his frown disappearing when he saw Jackie.

"Hey," he said with a small smile. She could tell he was nervous, the way he ran his hand over his head was a dead giveaway, and it made her wonder whether he had begun to notice her quirks like she had his.

"Hey yourself," Jackie said as she cleared the last few glasses off the tables.

Placing the glasses down on the bar she felt Hyde brush past her on his way to the cash register. He looked so handsome in his sweatpants and t-shirt that it took all of her willpower to not wrap her arms around him.

"Here, I made this for you," Hyde said as he put a mug of hot chocolate down on the bar.

God, now he was going to kill her with kindness.

"Awww, thank you," Jackie smiled.

Hyde looked around the empty bar. "Where are the other two?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"Oh I told them they could go, they both had _homework_ to do," she grinned. Hyde shot her a confused look and mumbled 'oh'. Geez, he was as stupid as they were, how could he not have noticed what was going on right under his nose? Lucky she was here keeping her finger on the pulse of love and loss at Masterson's Bar.

She wiped the last few tables down as Hyde silently cashed up. It was awkward, no doubt about it, but it really wasn't as bad as Jackie had imagined. Perhaps the hot chocolate gesture had broken the ice.

"Thanks again for this," Jackie said when she finally sat down to enjoy it. "I didn't think I'd be getting one tonight."

Hyde turned around and winked. "No problem, but I'm offended that you'd think I wouldn't make you one."

Jackie bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She hadn't meant to offend him. "Well, you know..."

"Yeah I know," he said without turning around. "Um, do you need a ride home? I don't mind."

Jackie swallowed her mouthful and put her cup down. "Actually a friend of mine works at a bar just around the corner and finishes at the same time. She said she'd pick me up."

"You have a friend?" Hyde asked in a friendly tone as he turned around.

Jackie smiled. "Yes I do can you believe it? I got talking to her at the cheer tryouts and it turns out she's in my dorm. She's great," Jackie explained. She noticed Hyde's face light up a little when she spoke, as if he were a proud father listening to his child talk about her first day of school.

"That's great Jackie, I'm happy for you," he smiled as he folded his arms.

"Happy Steven? I didn't think you did happy?" she teased.

Hyde laughed and shook his head. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah I know what you mean," Jackie said with eyebrows raised. She heard a vehicle pull up outside and turned to see her friend waiting out the front. "Um, well, I better go," she said gesturing to the car.

"Oh yeah, of course." Hyde followed her to the door ready to lock it after she left. She could smell his aftershave, the scent taking her back to the day he had told her she was dressed like a prostitute. Things seemed so easy back then, she and Hyde had their roles - they hated each other. Now everything was just so messy.

And Jackie didn't like messy.

He opened the door for her and as she went to step out into the cold night, his fingers gently wrapped around her hand.

"I miss you Jackie," he whispered.

Suddenly it wasn't the cold that was giving her shivers. His voice, his touch, it was too much. She turned away, looking at him and those beautiful eyes would've been it for her. She couldn't do it.

"I miss you too," she said before she ran to her friend's car and drove away.

...


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: Sorry for the late update! But guess what? There are still 2 more chapters to go! I just couldn't wrap it all up as quickly as I thought I would. Buuuuut the next chapter won't be up for a few days sorry. A good friend has come over from Australia for the weekend which means lots of girly chats and drinking so I won't be on here. For those of you that plan on giving me some hate for not updating, I have an idea...instead of writing me why don't you write a fanfic? I'm always keen for something new to read! For you other beautiful people thank you thank you thank you for the super reviews...you are awesome! I should hopefully be back Monday my time (which is probably Sunday for most of you). Have a good weekend...I know I will xx_**

* * *

 ** _Saturday, 6th November 1980_**

 ** _10.30pm_**

 ** _Masterson's Irish Bar_**

Hyde slammed the cash register shut and handed a shiny new quarter to a guy who had no chance hooking up tonight. He smiled, watching as the guy started dancing up behind a girl way out of his league. Poor guy, he was just too skinny and too twitchy to get a girl in this place.

Masterson's was pumping thanks to the awesome band Hyde had discovered at a party a while ago. There were only three guys but man they could play as if they were a full piece band. And they actually played decent rock, not the shitty top 40 crap like every other cover band.

But as much as Hyde was digging the scene there was one, big, annoying, pain in his ass trying hard to ruin it for him.

"My feet hurt," Gemma complained as she pulled a leg up behind her and held her foot with her hand.

"Find someone who cares," Hyde sniped, completely over this chick's complaining.

Gemma put her leg down before pulling her other one up. "You should care Hyde, you need me here more than I need this job," she said in her irritating, snarky tone.

Hyde shrugged. "If you wanna go you know where the door is." He really didn't care what that girl did, if she left she left, big deal. All she did was make out with Kerin and moan anyway, she wouldn't be any major loss.

She scowled before grabbing a soda out of the fridge. "Fine," she yelled, "I'll stay."

Hyde rolled his eyes as Gemma got back to work serving the messy queues of customers waiting for their drinks. The bar was gonna make a fortune tonight, so long as his staff actually served the masses and stopped holding their feet of course.

As he bounced from one end of the bar to the other, nearly crashing into Kerin, Matt, or Gemma every time, he found himself thinking about a certain little brunette barmaid with a killer smile. He missed her. He missed her a lot. And it wasn't just making out with her that he missed. He also missed working with her. She would always brighten up a boring shift, or a stressful shift...hell any shift was better if he was working with Jackie.

But now he didn't work with her. Now he had Gemma and her sore fucking feet to contend with. And it pissed him off.

"Boss, I need a break man," Kerin said wiping his brow. Hyde eyed the bar and for once there weren't 20 thousand drunk college kids waiting.

"Yeah take ten," Hyde begrudgingly offered an exhausted looking Kerin.

Jackie had never asked for breaks, ever. The little princess, who had to be piggy backed by Kelso nearly everywhere they went, could actually work on her feet for hours on end without demanding a break. Who would've thought it? Not Hyde that's for sure.

Fuck it, now he was comparing all his staff to her, like she was something wonderful.

Probably coz she actually was pretty wonderful.

Dammit!

The crowd cheered when the familiar riff from 'Smoke on the Water' rang out across the smoky bar. Guys were jumping up and down, girls were falling all over the place, and all were singing along. It was a good night at Masterson's, and while Hyde had a smile on his face as he poured drinks and watched the patrons make fools of themselves, he still felt like crap.

 _Damn chicks..._

"Great night huh?" Matt said as he reached over Hyde for the vodka.

"Yeah man, Patrick will be happy." Hyde nodded his head.

"Five tequila's please," a female voice yelled over the music, forcing Hyde to stop eyeing the crowd.

And there she was, leaning on the bar, looking pretty wonderful.

He raised an eyebrow. "Tequila? You sure Jackie?" he asked, his heartbeat steadily increasing, something it seemed to do every fucking time he saw her. Stupid heart.

Jackie laughed and ran her hand through her hair. "I'm kidding! Never again with the tequila." She was leaning right over the bar so that Hyde could hear her over the loud music, and probably so that she could knock him out with her intoxicating scent. "We'll take five beers please," she ginned.

Hyde leaned over, right in her ear. "Good choice."

He poured the beers for Jackie and her group of friends all the while trying hard to keep his eyes off of her. He wanted to be Zen, he wanted to not give a shit, but it was too hard. She looked fucking gorgeous. Her long, dark hair tumbled down her back, and her green dress clung in all the right places and offset her bronze glow perfectly.

Damn she was beautiful.

Carrying the glasses over to her he noticed the way she smiled and chatted enthusiastically to her new friends. The confident girl before him was so different from the sad girl in the hospital waiting room that day claiming to have no friends. She wasn't his sad little grasshopper anymore.

Jackie looked up when he set the glasses down, her eyes displaying all the happiness she clearly felt being amongst her new crowd. He tried to be pleased for her but part of him, the part he wished would clear off, worried that she would no longer need him in her life, in any capacity.

He waved her money away and leaned forward. "On the house," he said in her ear, her hair lightly tickling his face and sending tingles through his body.

Jackie shook her head and turned into him. "Don't be silly, take it," she yelled pushing the money into his hand.

He took a step back and held his hands up, shaking his head before heading over to serve the next waiting patron. Through the corner of his eye he saw Jackie excitedly pass her friends their beers before they shimmied their way over to the dance floor. She was back, the happy Jackie that had once irritated the crap out of him, and god he was happy to see her... but it was also gonna kill him to have to watch her all night from afar.

 _Damn chicks..._

 _..._

Dancing. She was dancing again. And she was actually dancing with _friends_ and in _public_. It was wonderful, and exciting, and something that a few weeks ago she never thought would ever happen. Well not in Milwaukee anyway. A few weeks ago she'd resigned herself to the fact that the only proper dancing she would do would be with Donna in Eric's dinky basement during the holidays. But no, she had friends now and she was out dancing. All thanks to Zen. And Hyde.

She also had Hyde to thank for her actually knowing the freaking songs the band were playing. Led Zep, Sabbath, The Who...she wouldn't have known any of them if he hadn't forced his love of crap music on everybody who came within a five mile radius of the Forman's basement. Many a time she had had to run home after a lazy day in the basement just to flick on her Carpenters album and unpollute her ears. However tonight she was pleased she knew all the words and could sing along, especially because Heather was obviously not a stereotypical cheerleader, she actually liked this music and was the reason they had come to the bar on Jackie's night off.

The small dance floor was packed. Sweaty bodies pressed up against each other as the crowd lifted their glasses in appreciation for the music that they probably believed would go down in history as classic. Jackie smiled and clapped knowing they were wrong, she knew what was timeless, and it wasn't this. but time would tell and she'd make sure to look Steven up one day just to tell him 'I told you so'.

As Heather and Jackie jumped up and down in time with AC/DC's Back in Black - something Jackie _never_ thought she would ever do by the way - she felt a rush of cold wetness hit her back. Her smile quickly faded, replaced with an angry scowl, as she swung around ready to yell at the offending metal head who had just ruined a fabulous dress that she'd worked two shifts to purchase.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The guy was dressed all in black, which was totally typical of pretty much every guy in the bar tonight, and he was waving his hands around like a flaming lunatic.

Jackie put a hand on her hip, inadvertently elbowing another guy in the ribs (something she figured she'd apologise later for), and narrowed her eyes. "Do you know how much this dress cost me? Silly question, of course you don't, look at you," she screamed over the music, "this dress cost me a tonne of money and now it smells like it's been marinating in hops for 3 months!"

Jackie's offender eyed the crowd in search of back up, most likely in the form of more skinny, black clad idiots. "Lady, I'm really sorry," he said again trying to slip through the crowd and away from her.

She wasn't about to let him go though, he'd ruined her dress after all, he had to pay. She tried to grab his arm. "Come back here!" she yelled as he swiftly disappeared between a sea of black and hair.

Heather slung an arm over Jackie's shoulder. "Don't worry Jackie, let him go, let's dance!" she said in her ear.

Jackie stomped her heel clad foot and reluctantly turned around and started dancing again, but every time she moved the wet silky fabric touched a different part of her back. It felt gross but was something Heather probably wouldn't understand, after all the head cheerleader was more inclined to dress like a lumberjack named Donna than a fashion icon like Jackie.

As she danced, or rather _tried_ to dance in her manky dress, her eyes trailed over the crowd and toward the bar. God she missed him. It wasn't the same in Milwaukee without having him to talk to, or laugh with, or stare at, or be growled by. But she had to be strong. Her idealised version of love had gotten her screwed over too many times and it was naïve to think Hyde would be any different. She couldn't be with a hothead.

No matter how much she wanted him.

The crowd erupted into applause as the band wound up their AC/DC medley and Jackie joined in - more because she was pleased the songs were finally over than for any actual appreciation of their playing - before tugging on Heather's leather jacket. The blonde looked down.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Jackie told her as she wiggled uncomfortably in her dress, "I feel disgusting."

Heather nodded. "Okay, we'll be right here when you get back," she smiled, little beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. Jackie shook her head in frustration at Heather's lack of composure, there was no way she'd ever be caught dead sweating in a public place...mind you, she _was_ standing in a public place covered in beer so maybe she shouldn't be one to judge at this very moment.

She wiped the obvious sweat marks off of Heather's brow with a tissue from her clutch, earning a pissed off face from the head cheerleader. "Won't be long," she called before pushing her way through the stinky crowd.

...

Hyde watched as Jackie walked into the ladies. Hell, he'd been watching her all night. He'd watched her dance, and drink, and laugh, and get covered in beer, and wipe her friend's face, and he was about 94% positive that he was possibly turning into her stalker. Especially because he was now casually pacing around outside the ladies.

The door swung open so he quickly picked up some glasses from a table, all part of his cover plan, and looked up.

Nope, not Jackie, only some lady who looked over 30. He wondered what she was doing here...people over 30 don't listen to music. They do spend money though, so he decided to let her stay.

So after doing his routine roughly 7 thousand times Hyde began to wonder just how big the ladies room actually was and whether there was some freaking secret exit in there. He couldn't stand here all night. But he also couldn't miss a chance at talking to Jackie alone.

The door opened again.

"So there you go, you look _so_ much better now. You must remember _never_ to wear that shade again even if your friends tell you that you looked good...coz I'm telling you, you didn't and your friends telling you that you did means they're bitches who were setting you up to fall."

Hyde felt the corner of his mouth curl up as he watched Jackie give make-up and friendship advice to some other chick. The other chick hanging on to every word,

"Oh my goodness, thank you so much Jackie! I can't believe I went out looking that bad!" she cried, holding on to Jackie's hands.

Jackie nodded her head. "Well you did," she admitted, "but it's okay, I've fixed you, now run along and have a great night." The other chick hugged what appeared to be her new idol and ran back to the dance floor. Hyde laughed as Jackie put a hand on her chest as though she were a proud mentor watching her prodigy go off into the world. He crept up behind her and put a hand on her the curve of her waist.

"If you're runnin' some sort of beauty empire in my bathrooms I'm gonna have to start chargin' you rent y'know," he said into her ear.

Startled, Jackie turned around and smiled. "Hey at least I'm prettying up the girls in here, _you_ should be paying me for my services," she argued in the bossy boss tone Hyde had come to like.

"I would pay for your services actually," Hyde grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

Jackie immediately pursed her lips and squinted her eyes. "You calling me a prostitute again?"

"No, I'm just saying that I'd do just about anything to have you in my bed again." Fuck he knew everything he was saying was coming out completely wrong and now he not only looked like a stalker but also a dirty creep.

Jackie folded her arms across her chest and Hyde couldn't help but wonder whether there was anything left of that hickey he'd put on there a couple weeks ago. He hoped there was...at least then she'd think about him...even if it was only to curse him for sucking on her breasts and branding her.

"Well I don't accept money for sex, I only accept feelings, so you're outta luck," she sniped. The way she wobbled on her feet made it obvious she was a little drunk, not as drunk as last week, but still drunk. He put his other hand on her waist and gently pushed her back against the wall resting his forearm above her head.

"I can give you feelings," he quietly admitted in her ear.

He heard her breath catch a little and it gave him hope. Hope that he had another shot with her.

"Tell me them then," she challenged.

He lightly pecked the area of smooth skin around her ear, his mouth desperate to move down to her lips and taste strawberries. "I want you," he whispered.

"Wanting me isn't the feelings _I_ want Steven, you have to give me more than that," she said as she placed her hands on his chest as though they were a barrier.

He kissed the corner of her mouth before she turned away. "Jackie we can hardly talk about it here right now," he started, "just stay with me tonight and then we can talk."

She pushed harder against his chest and looked up at him with big, sad eyes. "No, I can't stay."

Hyde pressed his body harder against her. "Please," he said, his hand sliding further around her waist. He wanted to pick her up, run upstairs, and lock the door. But then he'd be a stalker, a creep, _and_ a kidnapper...Red would kick his ass for sure. "Please stay Jackie."

"I'm not staying with you when I don't even know how you feel about me Steven. I did that once and the next day you humiliated me...I'm not a teenage doormat anymore..."

"I know you're not, and I've told you I'm sorry..."

He saw Jackie look over her shoulder and he turned around to see her friends calling her over. Figuring this was his last chance tonight he made one last plea. "Jackie _please_ stay with me, I like you okay?"

 _Fuck!_ Right then he knew he'd blown it. He knew his tone had been too gruff but he was new to all of this, he wasn't used to begging for a chick.

"That wasn't really the declaration I was looking for," Jackie said, one eyebrow arched. "I stupidly wrote out a list of all the reasons we could be together and you give me a 'I like you okay?'. I'm not a fool anymore Steven, I deserve the best without having to design the relationship myself. I have to go." With that she ducked under his arm and out of his bar.

 _Fuck!_

As he walked back to the bar Hyde told himself she wasn't worth it. No girl was worth this much drama. He was better off alone, like he always had been.

Simple.

He liked simple.

But he also liked Jackie. A lot.

So now his simple brain had to work out how to make her believe that she meant everything to him.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sunday, November 7th**_

 _ **4.30pm**_

 _ **Masterson's Irish Bar**_

Hyde buttoned up the last button on his favourite black shirt and carefully tucked the end fabric into his best jeans. He couldn't remember ever going to this much trouble for a girl, well, maybe he had put a little effort into wooing Donna back in the day, but he was a kid then and it didn't count. Kids do stupid crap all the time. He was an adult now, and he should know better. But he didn't.

Splashing a little after shave onto his neck he cursed himself for not having a decent plan to try and get Jackie back. Heck even Kelso came up with better ideas when he'd stuffed up with her and finally come to his senses - even if the ideas were hair-brained and half-assed. But Hyde had never had to grovel to a chick, or declare his feelings to one. He'd cruised through life forming no attachments to girls therefore if one decided she didn't wanna hook up with him anymore he'd simply move onto the next one who did. Until Jackie breezed into his bar of course. Now he only wanted to hook up with her and the only plan he had was sitting in the bar chatting her up while she worked. It wasn't a good plan, but it was all he had.

And hell he had to get some points for dressing up a little.

Making his way down the narrow staircase to the bar Hyde wondered how he was gonna play this. Last night he'd ended up with both feet in his mouth and Jackie had taken off so today he had to be cooler, despite having an advantage; the advantage being Jackie couldn't flee, she did have a shift to work after all. So he'd play it cool, say what came into his head at the time - perhaps censoring some content - and hopefully by the end of her shift he'd be tasting those strawberry lips once more. Maybe well thought out plans were way overrated, Hyde could wing this for sure.

Clenching one fist he opened the door to the bar just as Kerin looked up from his textbook that lay open on the counter between dirty glasses and a cup of cocktail umbrellas.

"Studying in the bar Kerin?" Hyde said as he strode over to the nerd of a bartender, "Not a good look man, the drunks will feel inferior and won't buy drinks."

Kerin quickly scooped up his books and paper. "Sorry boss, I have a big test tomorrow and wanted to fit in some last minute cramming, "I'll just put these out back," he said nervously as he hurried past Hyde to put his books away.

Hyde scanned the bar and to his disappointed there was no sign of Jackie. Instead he saw Gemma dancing around the pool tables with one of the regulars, dirty glasses in one hand, tea towel in the other.

"I see her feet don't hurt anymore?" he muttered, nudging Kerin.

Kerin looked over at Gemma, goofy lovesick grin plastered across his face. "I guess not," he observed.

"What's she doing here anyway? Jackie was rostered on tonight." Hyde tried to sound like a boss concerned with staff switching shifts behind his back but he had a funny feeling he sounded a little too concerned about Jackie's absence. Kerin's raised eyebrow told him his feeling was right.

"Dunno," Kerin shrugged. "Gemma just said Jackie asked her to work tonight, that's all I know. Why don't you call Jackie yourself and ask her what's going on?"

"No need for that," Hyde scoffed, quickly walking around the bar away from Kerin's inquisition, "But people should let me know what they're up to, I am the manager after all. Not that you lot care, studying during shifts n'all."

"Righteo boss," Kerin teased before adding, "Oh, and you look nice this arvo by the way, all dressed up just to come sit down here with us, and you smell pretty good too."

"Get bent!" Hyde growled as he perched himself on a stool at the end of the bar and lamented ever going to this much trouble for a girl. Damn staff changing shifts and fucking up his non-plan. He should fire them all as punishment.

"Hey Hyde, you gonna sit there all night and watch us work or something?" Gemma asked as she brushed past him and placed the dirty glasses she'd been dancing with on the bar.

Hyde ran a frustrated hand over his beard. "I fuckin' should you know that? He's studying, you're dancing, whose actually fucking working here tonight?"

Gemma glanced over at Kerin who was now wiping out a glass shelf. He didn't look at her so she had to deal with Hyde on her own, much to Hyde's delight.

"Well someone's got their grumpy pants on today don't they?"

"Yeah I do Gemma coz you lot are useless."

"Really? We work our asses off here, all of us work harder than _you_ Hyde so I think you should take that back."

"I'm not takin' it back coz I'm right. All you do is freakn complain, dance, and make out with him," Hyde yelled waving an arm in Kerin's direction prompting Kerin to look up and cut in.

"Hyde, you know we're good workers. I think you're just pissed off because Jackie's not working tonight," the younger barman said in a level tone.

Hyde felt his face blush and hoped his beard was concealing most of the tell tale sign that Kerin was right.

"Ooooohhhhh!" Gemma cried. "I _knew_ there was something going on between you two! Must admit it's a weird combo, but whatever floats your boat I s'pose."

"Whatever."

Weird combo? What the hell did she mean by that? She barely even knew him and Jackie, and she certainly didn't know the old Jackie, the one that really would've made any union between them super weird, so she had no right running her mouth.

Hold up, was he now _defending_ a Jackie/Hyde relationship?

He swallowed, hard, knowing that his next question was gonna confirm everyone's freaking suspicions. "Where is she anyway?" he asked without looking up from the bar.

He could tell Gemma was smirking. he'd definitely have to fire her later. "She had a big cheer practice or something...why? Do you care?"

Hyde looked up specifically to give the blonde the evil eye. " _No_ I don't care...I am only wondering what was _so_ important to her that she put off work."

"Well now ya know, cheerleading," Gemma said as she nudged Kerin in the side.

Hyde could hear them both knowingly giggle at each other so he stood to leave. He took one step before sighing. "Hey, ah Gemma, this cheerleading crap, where does she do it?"

...

 _ **University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Gymnasium**_

 _ **5.45pm**_

He could hear the cheering from the parking lot and it made him want to burn himself with his lit cigarette. God he hated cheerleading and all that went with it. He didn't mind cheerleaders though, hell he'd slept with half the squad back home. Jackie had hated that if he remembered rightly. She used to march into the basement and chastise him for putting his grubby, poor hands all over her friends. Especially revolting, according to the princess herself, was the fact she had to hear all about his bedroom antics in the changing rooms in typical girly detail. He smiled to himself as he threw his smoke butt into the gutter, betting she would've heard some good shit too. Those cheerleaders back home couldn't get enough of him, so long that it was all behind closed doors of course.

He took a deep breath and strolled into the black and gold adorned gymnasium, his eyes immediately locking on his favourite brunette. Taking a seat near the dozen or so other spectators he saw Jackie's expression change when she noticed him and she lost time with the other girls. Fearing that his non-plan was again gonna backfire on him he shot her a reassuring smile and she quickly regained her composure. The last thing he needed was her getting kicked off the team because his presence caused her to stuff up.

Just as Hyde had expected she was front and centre...well close enough to centre, if you got rid of those other three mediocre girls in the middle. He had seen her cheer before, back in Point Place when Kelso would drag him along after school. Hyde would mostly stay in the Camino and dabble in some film while he waited but sometimes boredom would force him out of the car to have a perv. He didn't really watch Jackie back then, if there was anything she felt they needed to know about cheering she'd always be sure to tell them anyway, so he just concentrated on the other girls. But now every other girl could've faded into the gymnasiums timber walls for all he cared.

The only girl he was watching was Jackie.

...

Jackie wasn't sure if it was the flips, kicks, and jumping, or if it was the ruggedly handsome guy sitting in the stands causing it, but whatever it was, her heart was racing. She needed a minute to compose herself but they had had their break for the day and were now on the last routine so she had to grin and bear it, hoping like hell she didn't keel over and die.

She tried to not glance at him every two seconds but it was as though the pathway between her brain and eyes short circuited the minute he'd casually walked into the gymnasium. Her gymnasium. The one where she practiced. Why was he here watching her?

She tried to shift her focus back to the routine, it was coming up to her big part and she had to nail it. _Especially_ with him here watching her. Hyde had that effect on her, she always wanted to be a little better, work a little harder, push herself further, when he was around. So ironic when only two years ago she'd thought he was the laziest person in the world.

As she carefully balanced her feet on Jessica and Julie's shoulders Jackie concentrated hard on the massive panther poster on the wall. She couldn't look at Hyde. She couldn't risk being so overcome by his little smiles and 'thumbs up's' that she fell. She lifted her arms up high in the shape of a V, flashed a brilliant Jackie smile, before jumping down into the girls arms and breathing a sigh of relief. The few spectators who had come to watch applauded, and one even stood to show his appreciation...the one wearing aviator glasses inside. Surprised at Hyde's standing ovation for cheerleading of all things Jackie gave him a sly wink before turning into a team hug.

"Great work girls...that was the best practice we've had so far," Heather said excitedly as the girls disbanded. "I'll see you all back here Tuesday at the usual time, thanks for coming."

Jackie said her goodbyes and ran over to grab her sweatshirt and bag off the chair. Just as she bent down to pick it up she felt big arms around her waist and she was hoisted off the ground.

"Aaaaahhh," she screamed as she swatted the unwanted arms away. ""Put me down you goon!"

"Why?" said the cheeky culprit. Lance was a big dumb basketballer but Jackie had learned he was harmless enough, just a little too over friendly.

"Because I said so you moron, put me down." As her feet touched the ground Jackie looked over and saw Hyde walking out of the gym. Her heart plummeted. He'd seen the exchange with Lance, got it all wrong, and was back to being a jealous idiot.

"Great practise Jackie," Lance smiled as he slapped her arm. "You coming out for burgers with us later?"

Jackie threw her sweatshirt over her head and looked up at Lance. "Yeah I guess so, nothing else to do," she said.

"Cool, we'll see ya later then." Lance jogged off to catch up with his friends while Jackie bent down to pick up the bag she'd dropped when he'd barbarically picked her up.

"You were pretty great out there."

Jackie stood up shocked to see Hyde standing right in front her. "I thought you'd gone?" she asked, trying not to smile as her heart skipped a beat.

Hyde lifted his shoulders a little. "I was going to but then I changed my mind," he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Wondered what you were up to tonight? You heading out for burgers?" he asked looking over to where Lance and a few other ballers were warming up for their practice.

Jackie looked at the ballers then back at Hyde. "He's just a friend Steven."

"That's cool."

"I'm telling the truth, he's honestly just a friend, I don't like him like that," Jackie explained.

Hyde smiled and nudged her shoulder with his own. "Jackie I said it's cool..."

"But you taught me Zen remember Steven, I know what 'that's cool' means..."

"This time I mean THAT'S COOL okay?" Hyde reassured her. "I came back didn't I? I didn't storm off when I saw him with his hands all over ya."

"No, no you didn't," Jackie said staring up at him with a hint of a grin on her face, "But you nearly did.."

"Yeah but I came back right?" Hyde was losing patience, Jackie could tell. It must've taken a lot for him to come here today so she didn't want to make it too difficult for him.. not just yet anyway.

"Yeah you did." She looped a hand around his arm as they started walking to the door. "Why did you come?" she asked.

Hyde moved his arm closer to his side, essentially trapping Jackie's hand. She smiled. "I wanted to see you and you weren't at work. You girls shouldn't be switching shifts without tellin' me by the way..."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "So you came to my cheer practice to growl me for changing my shift?"

She really didn't believe that one bit. As much as he probably didn't want to admit it Hyde had come to see her, because he liked her, really liked her. She could tell. She'd read enough Cosmo's to know the signs and Hyde had pretty much displayed all of them in the last half hour.

"Well that and to, y'know, see if ya wanna hang or something," he mumbled.

Jackie shivered as the cold air hit her causing her to lean in closer to Hyde. "Hang or something? Hmmmm, I've been invited out for burgers, and now you're inviting me to _hang or something,_ gosh, what a big decision for me to make. Could you please explain to me what hanging or something entails so that I'm fully informed before I decide?"

Little creases emerged on Hyde's forehead as he stopped walking and looked at her. "You know what I mean Jackie."

"No I don't." She couldn't make this too easy for him. Granted the guy didn't have a great deal of experience with the whole concept of dating but he was a grown man now and he just had to learn.

He sighed a heavy sigh that Jackie was sure a group of nearby cheerleaders hoping into a car even heard. "Okay," Hyde reluctantly started, his eyes darting around the busy car lot before resting on her, "Jackie would you like to go out for dinner or a movie or something with me?"

Jackie's face lit up as bright as Time's Square on New Years. "Oh my god yes Steven I would _love_ to go on a date with you," she beamed, noticing the smile that crept across Hyde's face.

"Cool," he said.

"But obviously I have to get changed first, you wanna come wait for me?" she asked, looking down at her little shorts and trainers which were hardly suitable attire for her first date with the man of her dreams.

Hyde nodded as they began making their way to Jackie's dorm. "Of course."

...

Hyde lay on Jackie's single bed surrounded by her crazy stuffed animals while she searched her closet for something to wear. He didn't know why she wanted to get changed, she looked hot in the tiny shorts and tight tee she was already wearing, must be a chick thing he guessed.

It was taking way more Zen than it should've for Hyde to conceal the happiness he was currently feeling. Even unicorns and freakin' Bjorn and Benny smiling down at him couldn't make him pissed off right now. She had agreed to out with him and that made him happy. God life can be crazy sometimes.

"What'cha thinking about?" Jackie asked as she held a top and skirt up against herself and looked in the mirror.

He wasn't about to tell her about the girly thoughts he was having. "Nothin', I'm just chillin' here with Blossom, checking you out," he smirked.

Jackie hung the top back up before putting a hand on her chest. "Awww you remembered her name!"

Dammit, why had he remembered that unicorn's name? Too much time with Jackie was making him soft. He needed to engage in some kinda illegal activity soon, before he learned _all_ of the damn toy's names.

"Whatever," he said as he threw Blossom to the end of the bed, ignoring Jackie's besotted expression.

She threw her skirt on the chair by her desk and sat down next to him. "Steven," she began, "I'm assuming you've thought about what I said last night?"

Jackie's hand was flat on the bed and Hyde couldn't help but lay his own over it. "Yeah I have," he admitted.

"And?" Jackie's eyes shot from the floor to him, they were full of hope. Hyde had hope too, hope that he didn't fuck this up.

"And, I like you Jackie, I wanna date you n all that stuff." It wasn't the best choice of words but Hyde wasn't great with words and it was more than any other girl had ever gotten out of him.

Jackie turned her hand over and interlaced her fingers with his. "How much do you like me," she asked, her voice as soft as her hands.

He reached up and slowly pulled her head down towards his. "I like you a lot, _a lot,_ a lot" he confessed, his stomach feeling queasy due to his out of character revelation.

"But what about all the reasons you gave me for why we shouldn't be together?"

Hyde was annoyed when Jackie pulled the brakes and sat back up. Couldn't they kiss before talking? That's the way it'd always been for him: meet a chick at a bar, buy her a drink, have a little dance, take her home, talk about where she wants a cab home to in the morning. But he knew, and he knew a while ago, that Jackie meant more to him than that. And he knew she deserved to know where she stood with him. He had to talk.

Even if it was gonna suck more than a having buttload of bottle rockets and a field void of cows.

He lightly stroked her cheek as she rested her head on his chest and peered up at him. "You disputed my reasons, with fairly good responses I might add."

"What about the one I didn't have an answer to? The one about me always wanting more?"

"I worked that one out myself," he said rather proudly. "I was wrong, you don't always search for something better...in fact, I think more than anyone what you're really searching for is some consistency in your life." He stroked her hair while he waited for her to say something, fairly confident in his analysis of the little cheerleader. When she had been demanding marriage left, right, and centre from Kelso and Jake, it had disgusted Hyde, but in retrospect he could see where she was coming from. He and Jackie had been dealt similar cards in life but had each played their hand differently; her craving stability and commitment, he avoiding it like the plague, both trying to protect themselves from hurt. Maybe now that they'd grown up and learned that neither hand ensured a win they could meet somewhere in the middle.

Jackie leaned up but said nothing. As she brought her lips to his he could see the moisture in her eyes and he vowed right then to never hurt her the way everybody else in her life had. The taste of strawberries warmed his body and settled his stomach and he pulled her on top of him, loving the fact her single bed prevented very few other options. They had to be close. And he liked being close to her.

Breaking away Jackie ran her hand through his hair. "You think we'll make it?" she asked staring down at him.

"Who knows?" he answered truthfully. "But we can try right?"

Jackie smiled. "So does that mean I'm your girlfriend?"

"Jackie, labels are merely a tool..." he started before noticing the expression on Jackie's face change from one of happy bliss to one that resembled anger. He hadn't had a girlfriend before. Never even wanted one. Now he did. And it was Jackie freakin' Burkhart. He sighed. "Yes Jackie, I guess you're my girlfriend."

She smiled proudly as he cupped her face and brought it down for another one of those kisses he liked so much. Again she broke away first. It was gonna take a while for him to get used to all this girl yapping.

"Oh my god, Steven Hyde is my boyfriend!" she exclaimed.

He rolled his eyes and hoisted her over onto her side, trapping her between him and the wall. "And as your _boyfriend_ I order you to quit flappin' your mouth and get these clothes off!" he teased before kissing her neck causing her to giggle.

"But _Steven_ you promised me a date, and I want us to have our first date as boyfriend and girlfriend before we do anything else." He stopped devouring her neck and looked up at her. She was pouting the same adorable pout that forced him to give her a job only five weeks ago. He thought about what would've happened if he hadn't hired her that day. They probably would've gone their separate ways, destined only to see each other at random holidays at the Forman's. He kissed her hard on the lips.

"Get changed then so we can go," he whispered before Jackie climbed off the bed.

Hyde lay back down next to the stupid toys and put an arm behind his head silently thanking god for giving Jackie that adorable pout.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hope you all liked it! Thank you a trillion for the lovely reviews, I can't say it enough but I really appreciate you all taking the time to write them. Thank you! Oh and I hope you all had a great weekend...I did, and paid for it lol. Next chapter should be up in the next couple of days and I'm fairly certain it'll be the last one. I have tried to think of ways that it could be extended but without angst I really can't see how it could be done. For those of you keen for it to be longer feel free to PM me any ideas coz I'm all out of 'em!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: here it is finally, the last chapter! Sorry for the wait...I struggled with this chapter and how to end the story but really wanted to get it finished. Thank you all for the awesome reviews, you know how much I love them. Let me know if you liked the ending!_**

* * *

 ** _Six months later..._**

Jackie yawned and rubbed her eyes again in a desperate attempt to keep them open. The TV was on but she couldn't say what late night rerun was showing, her eyes hurt too much to look and her brain was too tired to care. The thought of her warm, cosy bed was tempting but she wanted to wait up and she'd denied herself sleep for this long, she could go a bit longer.

The sound of the back door being unlocked startled her to life and the newly energised brunette bounded off the couch.

"Hey baby!" she said as she ran into the kitchen and threw her arms around Hyde's neck, catching him off guard.

"What are you still doing up?" He sounded surprised, not used to Jackie being awake at this late hour.

"I have a surprise for you and I couldn't wait to show you." Jackie closed her eyes for a moment and lightly kissed his soft lips. Over the last six months she'd worked out the best techniques for kissing a man with a beard who refused to shave it; if he kept it maintained and she held her head a certain way she avoided the whisker rash that had plagued her during their first month as a couple. Whisker rashes were ugly, but her bearded boyfriend was hot so they had found a way to make it work.

Hyde grinned as he ran his hands up under her pyjama top, his cold hands from cleaning the bar making her shiver slightly. "Ooohhh I love it when you wait up to surprise me."

Jackie giggled and tugged on his hand. "No silly, it's not _that_ kind of surprise. Come with me."

She dragged him into the small living room and flicked on the main light, her excitement fading when she turned and saw the look of horror on her boyfriend's face.

"Jackie what've you done?!" he asked as his eyes darted around his newly decorated living room.

"Don't you like it?"

"It looks like somewhere a girl would live!" Hyde's jaw clenched as he walked into the warm, lavender scented room, his eyes locked on what was once his bare mantelpiece. Folding his arms across his chest he let out an exasperated sign as he scanned the photos and trinkets Jackie had carefully placed from one end of the mahogany shelf to the other.

Jackie frowned. She had spent all day making their apartment cosy with her undeniable flair for design and he was ruining it. To her what had once been a space akin to a doctor's waiting room now looked, and felt, like a home. A home shared by two people building a life together. The photos, cushions, throws and other homely touches were not just objects to Jackie, they represented comfort; the comfort she felt in her new life with Hyde.

"But Steven I _do_ live here, you asked me to remember? And the place was so grey and blah, I had to do _something_ with it," she said, her tone and body language defiant. Hyde _had_ asked her to move in with him only a month ago because, according to him, driving her to and from her dorm everyday was annoying. She knew his reason was full of crap, they both hated being away from each other but neither of them would ever admit that. Instead they protected themselves the best they could as they navigated their way through their new relationship, revealing new layers and emotions as time went on.

He picked up the pink blown glass lamp she'd placed on the table next to the TV. "Pink Jackie? Really?"

Okay she'd give him that one. She knew he wouldn't like it but she had to try anyway. The lamp was just so pretty, and delicate, and pink...she couldn't just leave it in the store.

She shrugged and pouted.

"No pouting," Hyde warned as he noticed the brandy glasses she'd displayed on the mantelpiece. "What's with these?"

"They're pretty and fancy."

"They're glasses Jackie, they should be in the kitchen."

She shook her head and fell onto the couch. Guys would never understand. "Yes but they're _fancy_ glasses Steven, they shouldn't be hidden away, they should be enjoyed, visually."

Now Hyde was shaking his head. "No one enjoys looking at a glass man, unless it's filled with something, and these are empty glasses sittin' on a mantelpiece," he said pointing to the glasses.

"Whatever."

He continued to peruse his new living room while she continued to pout on the couch. "Do you at least like the photos?" she asked as Hyde studied the framed 4 X 6's sat on top of the TV. She saw him smile when he picked up the one of the two of them taken on Christmas Day. They were in the Forman's basement and he was sitting in his usual chair with her on his lap. Neither of them had been aware that the photo was being taken, instead their eyes were locked on each other. Fez had sent them the photo a few weeks after Christmas with a note that read:

 _We all needed photographic evidence of two things. One - that you two being together wasn't a dream (or a nightmare haha), and two - that either of you could actually look and be that happy._

When Hyde had read the note he'd scoffed before screwing it up. After he'd gone down to the bar that night Jackie had retrieved the crumpled paper from the trash and it was now being stored in her secret Steven box, ready to show him on their wedding day (which she was sure would be sometime in the next three years, even if Hyde still wouldn't admit it).

Hyde put the photo back down. "Yeah, the photos are cool," he smiled, "it's just the lamp n glasses that have gotta go."

Jackie sat up a little and grinned. "So everything else can stay? Even the candles?"

Hyde sighed as he sat down next to her and put his feet up on the coffee table. Pulling Jackie onto his lap he kissed her cheek. "They can stay," he whispered.

"Awwww Steven, you're such a big softie." Jackie put her hand on his chest and softly nibbled his neck. "I really owe you for this."

"Yes you do," Hyde grinned, sliding a hand up her top once again. "Lemme take a shower n I'll meet you in the bedroom yeah?" He slapped her butt indicating she needed to get up but she stayed where she was and moved her lips up to his mouth.

"I love you baby," she murmured into his warm mouth before flicking her tongue in to meet his. She loved his kisses, and everything else about him for that matter. No one had ever looked out for her the way he did and she made damn sure that she reciprocated his nobility by showering him with something he'd never had in his life - love. As long as he knew she loved him, she knew he'd never leave.

And she 99.9% positive she would never stop loving him.

...

As much as Hyde was enjoying Jackie's hot kisses he really needed a shower. When she'd moved in she'd laid out a couple of rules, one being that as long as he continued to smoke cigarettes he had to shower before bed, and he really wanted to get into bed with her right now, so he needed to get the shower thing over with.

He cringed as he pulled his mouth away from hers. "I gotta take a shower Jackie," he said as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Okay, come on then." She climbed off his lap and helped him up. Leading him to the shower she rattled off the events of her day, just like she always did. She still liked to yap, and he had actually gotten used to listening. Her stories were usually pretty entertaining, and nearly always included her unknowingly burning someone. They always made him smile.

She always made him smile.

He kicked his boots off in the hallway while Jackie turned on the shower and got him a fresh towel. She seemed to love taking care of him. The little things she did- little notes she left; cars magazines she bought for him; baking she tried to do to cheer him up - showed him how much she loved him. Granted it'd all taken him a while to get used to, but now he couldn't imagine her not being in his life. He liked having a girlfriend.

Correction.

He loved having a girlfriend.

Scrubbing his teeth in the shower he laughed as she rambled on about fat people using the lifts at college. God she was rude, and so politically incorrect it was insane, but it was still kinda funny.

"Jackie," he said after spitting out his toothpaste, "you can't actually say that to people's faces man. Don't you think you may be hurtin' their feelings or something?"

"No," Jackie said from her spot on the vanity, "I'm motivating them Steven. One day they'll thank me for not letting them take the lift and making them use the stairs."

Hyde turned the shower off and Jackie handed him his towel. "Okay then, whatever you say. But don't be surprised if one day you get punched in the face."

Jackie glared at him as he dried himself.

"I'm not saying I want you to be punched in the face babe-"

"You sure?"

Hyde grinned before kissing her lips. "Why would I want that pretty little face beat up?"

"You think I'm pretty?" Jackie smiled.

Hyde gave his hair one last rub with the towel. "I think you're _very_ pretty." Yip, judging by the smile on her face he was gettin' plenty tonight.

"And little?"

"Tiny," he said with a wink. "That's why you're allowed to use the lift aye babe?"

"And that's why you love me right Steven?" she said following him out of the bathroom.

"That's right," he said paying no attention to what she was saying, his mind focused on what was gonna happen behind that closed bedroom door in a few minutes. Just as he went to open said closed door Jackie rushed in front of him blocking his entrance.

"Wait a minute," she ordered, putting her hands on his waist. Her eyes were wide and her lips all pouty, he just had to kiss her, so he did. "You love me right Steven?" she asked after pecking his lips.

What the hell? They were gonna have _this_ talk right here right now?

"Yes Jackie, I do," he sighed.

"Well say it."

"Jackie, I love you. You know that." She did know that. He didn't tell her eighteen thousand times a day like she told him, but he made sure to tell her he loved her at least once a week.

"And there's nothing I could do that would make you real mad?"

Hyde's eyes narrowed. "Ah, yeah, there are some things that you could do that would make me real mad," he said suspiciously. He'd curved his jealous tendencies a whole lot over the last six months and had even handled Kelso's jibes about Jackie at Christmas time. But if she was about to reveal something about her and another guy he knew he'd fly off the handle.

Jackie slid her arms up around his neck. "It's nothing like that Steven," she reassured him. "Would anything I did to your, I mean _our,_ room make you mad?"

 _Fuck..._

"Open the door Jackie-"

"Not until you promise you won't get mad."

"Open it-"

"I will when you say you promise."

"Blow this." Hyde picked Jackie up and she squealed before wrapping her legs around his waist. Sighing, he opened the door and nearly screamed when he saw his room was now some pale shade of purple, _lavender_ he was sure he'd heard Jackie call it before. His posters were gone, replaced by paintings of flowers in fuckin' vases, and fairy lights lined the windows and mirrors. His eyes trawled the room before finally resting on the now floral patterned bedspread and the thing sitting right in the middle of the numerous pillows.

Blossom.

Fluffycake's little sister Blossom was sitting on his bed.

And he was sure the unicorn was smirking at him.

He dropped Jackie to her feet and ran a hand through his damp hair.

"Do you like it?" she asked nervously.

"Jackie, what the fuck have you done?"

He stepped into the room while Jackie yabbered on about breathtaking lights and Laura freakin' Ingalls but all he could do was stare at his gorgeous girlfriend. God he loved her, but he was 99.9% positive that she and Blossom would be the death of him.

And the freaky thing was, he didn't care one bit.

 _THE END_


End file.
